To Heart: After Remembering the Memories
by Moonlight Bomber
Summary: This is a crossover political story that happens during the present Philippine electoral crisis. The characters from the visual novel and anime series To Heart and four Philippine teen celebrities will be involved in a struggle for national unity.
1. Episode 1

Episode 1: A New Morning... Again / Where It All Began

* * *

_One ring to rule them all...  
One ring to find them...  
One ring to bring them all...  
And in the darkness, bind them._

_Fithos... lusec... wecos... winosec..._

_Hello Garci..._

* * *

Hiroyuki: After remembering the memories, it's time to move on.

Akari: We must not confine to just one country to progress ourselves.

Multi: Every human creature, whether human or robot, must have its fair share of life.

John: Loveteams may be made for popularity, but true loveteams persist after showbiz.

Heart: I may have been separated due to a disagreement, but I must move on.

Hero: Heroes of love must not abuse love itself.

Sandara: Foreigners must be treated equally like locals. Cultural relativism is good.

* * *

_Haru ga mau namikidou, monogatari wa mawaridasu.  
As spring dances in the road of trees, a story revolves.  
Habang sumasayaw ang tagsibol sa daanan ng mga puno, isang kuwento ang umiikot._

* * *

One day, after their high school graduation, Hiroyuki and Akari are chatting inside, thinking of what to do for college.

Hiroyuki: Haaaahhhhh... (relaxed) There's nothing like graduation. Now I can sleep all day, just like what Jason Mraz sings.

Akari: Hiroyuki-chan, don't think that way. We still have college, remember?

Hiroyuki: I won't go into that crap. High school's already hard for me. What more of college?

Akari: You mean, you won't be together with--- Suddenly, the friendly neighborhood robot Multi enters Hiroyuki's house.

Multi: Good day, everyone!

Akari: Oh, it's Multi!

Multi: I have some important news for you!

Hiroyuki: What is it?

Multi: The president of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, has invited us, plus our other friends, to study in her country! Wow, I can't wait study in some of the most respectable universities and colleges there!  
Hiroyuki: WHAT? Oh man, another guaranteed pain in the neck!

Akari: Can't you just turn down the offer of a head of state?

Hiroyuki: (pause) For Pete's sake, I'm giving in. (sigh)

Multi: Good! I've already informed the others, so in a few days; I'll be expecting your chosen courses! See you then! Bye! (leaves)

Akari: For my course, it's Hotel and Restaurant Management! What's yours, Hiroyuki-chan?

Hiroyuki: Whatever course that's popular. I'd prefer a 2-year one so that I can go back to Japan immediately and sleep.

Akari: You're always talking about sleeping! Why don't you cut it out?

While Hiroyuki and the others prepare for a Philippine adventure, two Filipino pairs are about to get involved in their quest. Let us first visit a former showbiz loveteam, John Pratts and Heart Evangelista. They are currently talking over the phone.

John: What? After you dumped me for Geoff Eigenmann, you'll become an airport security guard? What's gotten into you?  
Heart: Sorry, but I have to do this. To amicably settle our legal issues, we need money. Being a star isn't enough.

John: Okay. As long as my sis Camille doesn't hide any grudges against you, I agree.

Heart: Agreed. I'll start my job on Monday. Never, ever, find me. Or else, we might never see each other again.

What does Heart mean by "we may never see each other again"? Will it be a bad omen? The second pair to be involved is composed of Hero Angeles and Sandara Park. Unlike John and Heart, they are an existing loveteam.

Sandara: We have finished our first movie and now it's enjoying box-office records. So what?

Hero: I know that we won't rest on our laurels yet. We're more popular than ever, but we have to show the people what we're made of.

Sandara: And we must remember that overexposure is a no-no. (gasps) What's this thing that I'm sensing? (shivers) Danger... I sense danger...

Hero: Sandy? What in the world is this?

The danger that Sandara perceives is created by a government official, more specifically, the chairman of the Commission on Higher Education. What's in his mind, anyway?

"That pesky Land of the Rising Sun is about to start World War III! She will have to send her citizens to learn our untainted culture and use them as weapons of mass destruction against us! There may be tension in Iraq and North Korea, but the number one threat is not America, but Japan! She never forgave her victims in the deadliest world war, and worse, her citizens are still bragging about their supposed-to-be glory! I will start a revolution that will totally annihilate anything and everything Japanese! President Arroyo may not favor me, but I'll manipulate her into performing my bidding! Remember, Japan, you will face not forgiveness, but wanton destruction! Gyahahahahaha!"

* * *

One week later, Hiroyuki and co. meet at Narita Airport. The main man proceeds over the attendance.

"Akari, check! Shiho, check! Masashi, check! Serika, check! Ayaka, check! Aoi, check! Kotone, check! Lemmy, check! Rio, check! Tomoko, check! Multi, check! Serio, check! And, of course, me, check!"

Akari then proceeds. "Now, before we leave, have you all decided on your courses?"

The group agrees. One by one, they state their preferred courses.

Masashi: Marine Engineering.

Serika: Accountancy.

Ayaka: Occupational Therapy.

Aoi: Exercise Physiology.

Kotone: Psychology.

Lemmy: Foreign Studies, Major in American Affairs!

Rio: Journalism.

Tomoko: Secondary Education.

Hiroyuki interrupts, "Oh, wait a minute! Will the Philippine government accept robots as students?"

Shiho replies, "Don't worry, Hiro. I can sweet-talk to President Arroyo into accepting Multi and Serio with my charm!"

"That's not the way you should treat a head of state!"

"Shut your pot-hole, trash-talker!"

Akari stops the argument with a "Please stop it! We're wasting time with this nonsense!"

"OK, fine. Whatever," Hiroyuki and Shiho sigh.

Akari then proceeds. "So, Multi and Serio, what are the courses that you prefer?"

"We thought of it for a long time, and we have no regrets for the choice. What's more, both of us'll take it," Multi replies.

"The course that we will take... is Nuclear Technology," Serio continues.

"Gah! Do you think that a developing country offers a course like this?" Hiroyuki gasps.

"Let's see..." Masashi flips the pages of 'The Guide to Philippine Education for Foreign Students'. "It says here that only the University of the Philippines carries the Nuclear Technology course."

"Well that's good. For me, it's Computer Science, Major in Electronic Entertainment," Hiroyuki declares.

"Lastly, it's Hotel and Restaurant Management for me," Akari follows. "Seems we all take different courses. But then, they're unique in every way."

"Hey? What about me?" Shiho exclaims.

The airport's audio system releases an announcement just when Shiho finishes her sentence. "All passengers of Flight 312 bound for Manila, please proceed to the departure area immediately. Repeat, all passengers of Flight 312 bound for Manila, please proceed to the departure area immediately. Thank you."

"It's time to go, everyone! We mustn't miss the flight!" Hiroyuki shouts. Everyone except Shiho proceeds to the departure area.

"Just to let you know," she shouts to them while catching up, "my course is Mass Communication so that I can easily become a pop superstar! Why aren't you listening to me? Guys!"

Thankfully, the whole group boards the plane. _Sayonara, Nippon! Maligayang pagdating, Pilipinas!_


	2. Episode 2

Episode 2: The Hatred Surfaces / Sacrifices Have to Be Made

* * *

_I'm gonna live my life  
Like every day's the last  
Without a simple goodbye  
It all goes by so fast_

* * *

"Mabuhay! Welcome to the Philippines!"

This is the welcome message displayed on a big sign adorning the arrival area of Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1.

"Wow. Stepping on foreign soil has never been exhilarating," Hiroyuki declares as the group walks out of the arrival area.

"I wonder how Filipinos look and act," Multi ponders.

"I heard from world history class that Filipinos are hospitable and carry a big sense of humor," Akari replies.

"Maybe I can perform here if I become a pop star," Shiho reacts.

"In your wildest dreams," Hiroyuki retorts, "for your big fat information."

"Stop criticizing me, you spoony bard!"

"Surrender or die in obscurity!"

"Feel my kick and moan!"

"Please," Masashi interrupts, "stop your bad game translation trash-talk. You're just hopeless!"

Kotone then feels something... unnatural. It is manifested by her sudden stoppage of movement, as if some commander shouted "Attention!" to her. The others run towards her.

"Kotone? What's wrong?" Aoi worries.

"Looks like she senses a bad omen," Tomoko choruses. "Probably something violent."

"And that happened just when we're approaching the security check area? What the heck are we expecting!" Lemmy exclaims.

"Listen to her," Rio says. "She's saying something."

The psychic girl spits out Nostradamus-like words in an horror-filled halting manner. "Danger... come... us... guards... kill... capture... imprison... destruction... Japan... revenge... World War II..."

"Are you telling us that danger will come to us? Guards will capture and kill some guys? That someone's aiming to destroy Japan in revenge for World War II?" Ayaka questions.

Serika just nods her head in agreement.

"Thanks for your warning, Kotone. We mustn't let our guard down from now on," Hiroyuki declares.

The group approaches the security check area. There, Kotone's bad premonition comes true. How?

The airport guards make an evil stare at them. One of them carries a sensor disguised as spectacles. The sensor's monitor detects a passenger's nationality. In this case, the sensor detects Hiroyuki and co. as Japanese, obviously. Another guard radios in, "This is Foxtrot Squad. Japanese citizens detected at Terminal 1 Arrival Area. Request liquidation procedures. Over and out."

At the baggage check area, the baggage of the group is seized without their knowledge. And at the temperature check area, another squad of guards point their M4 Carbines, M-16's, and rocket launchers at them.

Finally, when the group gets out of the arrival area, airport alarms begin to activate.

"WARNING! Terrorists are within airport perimeters. All flights cancelled! Security measures are being activated! All passengers, please stay away from the terrorists and evacuate immediately!"

"Good grief. Kotone's a prophet, really. If only she doesn't have psychic powers," Hiroyuki frets.

"Time cannot be turned back. The bad premonition has materialized. We are innocent of any crime related to terrorism, and they just discriminate us 100," Serio comments.

"Urrrgh. If I hadn't gone with you to this country, I shouldn't be in danger now," Shiho grumbles.

"Look! There are guards coming towards us! We must run!" Multi alerts. "Uryaaaaaaaaa!"

"Surrender or die, you Japanese terrorists!" the guards shout while chasing Hiroyuki and co.

Yet another group of guards chase them. "Your only purpose for coming to the Philippines is to continue the destruction you inflicted last World War II!"

After a few minutes of running, chasing, and dodging, Hiroyuki and co. are exhausted. They are surrounded by lots and lots of heavily-armed guards.

"Why would you mistake us for Al Qaeda?" Hiroyuki angrily shouts at the guards.

"Al Qaeda may be no more," one of the guards explains, "but there is a bigger form of terrorism that is prominent! It is... Japan!"

Another guard continues, "We try to forget what you've done to us, but with your country's military complex growing, you will start an occupation more gruesome and more horrific than ever before!"

Another one concludes, "So for that worst-case scenario not to happen again to our fair Motherland, the root cause of wanton destruction must be eliminated! Punishing you Japanese soon-to-be-terrorists is a start!"

Note: The characters will have to be split into three groups, each battling a group of enemies.

_Battle 1, commence!  
Allies: Hiroyuki, Akari, Shiho, Masashi, Multi  
Enemies: Possessed Airport Guard x4 (HP: 250 each)  
Masashi gets a turn. He chooses to attack Possessed Airport Guard A. He deals 67 damage to him.  
Akari gets a turn. She chooses to cast Chemical Impact on all enemies. She deals 150 damage each to them.  
Possessed Airport Guard D gets a turn. He chooses to attack Shiho. Shiho takes 26 damage.  
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to cast Fatal Sweeper on all enemies. She deals 106 damage each to them, KOing them.  
Battle 1 won!_

"Resistance is futile, Jap losers!" one guard shouts.

_Battle 2, commence!  
Allies: Serika, Ayaka, Aoi, Kotone, Lemmy  
Enemies: Possessed Airport Guard x4 (HP: 250 each)  
Serika gets a turn. She chooses to cast Yelo 1 on Possessed Airport Guard C. She deals 157 damage to him.  
Possessed Airport Guard B gets a turn. He chooses to cast Hail of Bullets on all allies. He deals 49 damage each to them.  
Aoi gets a turn. She chooses to cast Repeating Fist on Possessed Airport Guard A. She deals 275 damage to him in total, KOing him. (Damage per hit: 55)  
Ayaka gets a turn. She chooses to cast Whirlwind Kick on Possessed Airport Guard B. She deals 265 damage to him, KOing him.  
Possessed Airport Guard D gets a turn. He chooses to cast Slowpoke on all allies. All allies' speed down.  
Possessed Airport Guard C gets a turn. He chooses to use a Potion on himself. He recovers 50 HP.  
Lemmy gets a turn. She chooses to cast Charge Arrow on Possessed Airport Guard C. She deals 101 damage to him, KOing him.  
Kotone gets a turn. She chooses to cast Psycho-Crusher on Possessed Airport Guard D. She deals 277 damage to him, KOing him.  
Battle 2 won!_

"We will drive the infidels out of our precious Motherland, even if we have to die!" yet another guard shouts.

"Status report: We are outnumbered!" Serio warns.

"Brother, help me..." Rio shrivels in fear.

"I can do this alone..." Tomoko asserts herself.

A female voice is heard from afar. "Guards, please stop your violation of human rights. This is inexcusable!"

Afterwards, a male voice is heard from afar. "Pick on someone your own size!"

One guard shouts, "What? Officer Evangelista? Why are you here?"

Another one says, "You should be patrolling the area! Are you turning your back on us?"

Yet another one says, "Dereliction of duty is punishable by death!"

The remaining guards decide to kill the girl, who is obviously Heart.

But the boy, whom we know as John, charges through the guards, smashing their heads in the process.

"At last... reinforcements," Serio declares.

"Who are those two, anyway?" Rio wonders.

"Must be lovers," Tomoko answers.

John approaches the embattled people and says to them, "Nice to meet you all. I wandered around the airport looking for my ex, and saw you guys in danger."

"You mean, that girl over there with a staff?" Tomoko questions.

"John, why are you here?" shouts Heart from afar. "And why are you surrounded by girls?"

"Arrgh! You pests are really getting in our way!" the remaining guards shout while charging towards John in revenge for their fallen comrades. "You betrayed our country for this!"

_Battle 3, commence!  
Allies: Tomoko, Rio, Serio, John, Heart  
Enemies: Possessed Airport Guard x4 (HP: 250 each)  
Before the actual battle starts...  
John and Heart get close to each other and explain their unexpected meeting.  
Heart: Tell me! Why'd you find me even though I told you not to do so?  
John: All I want from you is a proper and heartfelt goodbye to our relationship, that's all. We might be friends again.  
Heart: You can do this when I have my free time. Today is NOT my free time.  
John: But look, I hate delays ---  
Serio: Please do not argue! We have a bigger problem at hand!  
Tomoko: Fight now and arrange disagreements later!  
After a brief pause...  
John: Time for Operation Whack-an-Airport-Guard! Your guns are no match for my precious mace!  
Heart: Guards, please, those persons are not terrorists. I can see their innocent looks in their eyes. We are here to protect passengers, not to search for someone to kill.  
Serio gets a turn. She chooses to cast Heat Ray on all enemies. She deals 757, 216, 555, and 109 damage, consecutively, to each of the four enemies. Possessed Airport Guards A and C are instantly KOed.  
Possessed Airport Guard B gets a turn. He chooses to cast Hail of Bullets on all allies. He deals 50 damage each to them.  
Possessed Airport Guard D gets a turn. He chooses to cast Hail of Bullets on all allies. He deals 51 damage each to them.  
Heart gets a turn. She chooses to cast Love Has Come My Way on all allies. She restores all allies' HP's back to full.  
John gets a turn. He chooses to cast Angry Smash on Possessed Airport Guard D. He deals 312 damage to him, KOing him.  
Rio gets a turn. She chooses to attack Possessed Airport Guard B. But the attack missed!  
Tomoko gets a turn. She chooses to attack Possessed Airport Guard B. She deals 44 damage to him, KOing him.  
Battle 3 won!_

With that hard-fought battle, the guards vanish into thin air.

"Now what the heck happened?" Hiroyuki wonders.

"Oh my dearie delicious dancer! They just chickened out?" Lemmy exclaims.

"I think that those guards aren't normal," Heart wonders.

An evil laugh dominates the airport's surround system.

"We'll... brace... for... something... worse..." Kotone shudders.

Suddenly, out of a dark mist, a Dracula-like figure emerges. He is a man of around 45-50 years old with a heavy, nationalistic Filipino voice. His cape is an exact replica of the original Philippine flag made by Marcela Agoncillo and company. He stares at Hiroyuki and co. with a strong sense of hatred.

"You people from Japan have the nerve to step in our beloved soil. As you can see, all of the Filipinos are fed up with your indifference and lack of reconciliation. You know why? You Japanese are still proud of the suffering and destruction that you have inflicted last World War II. You fail to mention the atrocities that you have made in your history class. As an educator, I condemn that heinous act. That is why China and other Asian countries vow to seek revenge against Japan if she doesn't apologize 100 to all of her victims. Even time will not heal the scars of your fury! We will never forget! We will never forget! That is why the only sure-fire way to end the cycle of our suffering is to eliminate Japan and all of its influences forever from my beloved country, the Philippines!" the man says.

"No! You are wrong! We try to forget what we have done to our Asian neighbors by being good global citizens. Even though you didn't directly suffer from the war, you used it as a scapegoat for utterly nonsense revenge!" Akari answers back.

"Nonsense? No! I am doing it so that I can be recognized as a true Son of the Nation. That is why I, Melficio Victorialuna, head of the Commission on Higher Education, am using my position to always instil nationalist ideas into the hearts and minds of the Filipino youth. All foreign ideas must be eliminated at all costs. Especially Japanese ones."

"I'm sick of your traditional politician rhetoric," John abruptly speaks. "All you do in real life is make us, the youth, wallow in the darkness of ignorance through your stupid tuition fee increases, lack of education facilities, and suppression of student rights."

"What those Japanese teenagers wanted is a decent education in OUR beloved country, if I'm correct," Heart continues. "Why put the blame on those innocents? You should focus more on education problems."

"Correct! Even I, a robot, can feel the purity of my intention," Multi supplants.

"Look what we have here. Eleven Japanese future terrorists, two weapons of mass destruction disguised as maid robots, and two betrayers of the nation. What a bunch of lowly vermin you are. You are nothing compared to my massive army built for maximum destruction! All this to make this country great again! Hahahahahahaha!"

Mr. Victorialuna then releases an invisible barrier that knocks Hiroyuki and co. out cold.

"We..." John says.

"...cannot..." Heart says.

The two then say in unison, "...allow this!" They then charge towards Mr. Victorialuna.

_Battle 4, commence!  
Allies: John, Heart  
Enemy: Melficio Victorialuna (HP????)  
The two simultaneously attack Mr. Victorialuna, but the enemy suffers little to no damage at all.  
After five turns...  
Mr. Victorialuna: Die trying to kill me, you chumps.  
John: We won't!  
Heart: As long as we defend their right to education, we won't give up!  
Mr. Victorialuna: That's the lamest of excuses that I've heard in my entire life! So as a gift for you two helpers of would-be destroyers of the nation, I'll give you this!  
Melficio Victorialuna casts Mabuhay ang Armadong Rebolusyon! on all allies. John and Heart both suffer 9999 damage, making them KOed.  
Battle 4 ended._

John and Heart, though severely weakened and bloodied, approach the still-unconscious Hiroyuki and co. They whisper their last words, "Though... we... may be... absent in body... we'll... be... present... in soul... Continue your fight... Send... my... love... to... you... into... your... heart..."

With that, they both perish.

"Mwahahahahahahaha! Those two dimwits are not true Sons of the Nation! Sympathizing with enemies of the state is an unforgivable crime punishable by death! Now, for the future terrorists, they'll deserve a slow and painful death in Basilan! The Abu Sayyaf will be responsible for their punishment that they deserve! Enjoy your lives while you can, Japanese terrorists!" Mr. Victorialuna concludes.

A strange portal sends Hiroyuki and co. to Basilan, where they will face punishment at the hands of the Muslim extremist group.

After the teleportation, Mr. Victorialuna manipulates the airport as if nothing happened, then disappears.

* * *

_There it goes, up in the sky  
There it goes, beyond the clouds  
For no reason why  
I can't cry hard enough  
No, I can't cry hard enough  
For you to hear me now_


	3. Episode 3

Episode 3: Star-Encircled Dragon Quest / Final Approach 

The atrocity at NAIA, despite Mr. Victorialuna's manipulation, gets big buzz with every Filipino. Rich or poor, employed or jobless, young and old. Everybody spreads the news like wildfire, made even faster by mass media, cellphones, and the Internet.

The next day, all of the media organizations carry that event as its headline.

Phil. Daily Inquirer: Massacre at airport (Subtitle: Two teen stars killed; 13 captured)

The Phil. Star: Ex-love team killed at NAIA (Subtitle: 13 Japanese captured)

TV Patrol (ABS-CBN), 24 Oras (GMA), News Beat (Net 25), Sentro (ABC-5): Headline: Two teen stars were killed yesterday at Ninoy Aquino International Airport at the hands of Mr. Melficio Victorialuna, the head of the Commission on Higher Education. They are identified as John Pratts and Heart Evangelista. The two tried to stop Mr. Victorialuna's capture of thirteen Japanese teenagers at the airport. Later, the National Bureau of Investigation found out that the head has an immense hatred of all things Japanese due to World War II, hence his actions. The thirteen persons, who were sent to an undisclosed place by Victorialuna, are identified as the following.

1. Hiroyuki Fujita  
2. Akari Kamigishi  
3. Shiho Nagaoka  
4. Masashi Sato  
5. Serika Kurusugawa  
6. Ayaka Kurusugawa  
7. Aoi Matsubara  
8. Kotone Himekawa  
9. Lemmy Miyauchi  
10. Rio Hinayama  
11. Tomoko Hoshina  
12. Multi (HMX-12)  
13. Serio (HMX-13)

Some days later...

Just as the nation is preoccupied with the _jueteng _(an illegal numbers game) scandals and the wiretapped conversation wherein Pres. Arroyo allegedly cheated in the 2004 elections, something more explosive hits Filipino airwaves. It is a live broadcast of the Abu Sayyaf taking Hiroyuki and co. hostage. The broadcast looks like something out of Al-Jazeera because of Islamic banners adorning the Abu Sayyaf's hideout, with the unlucky thirteen being blindfolded plus lots of guns pointed at them.

Some moments later, a member pulls out a scroll and reads aloud the message. "Because of our mysterious benefactor, those thirteen infidels are now in our hands. We will take them hostage for thirty days; and afterwards, we will kill them. So if anyone dares to fight us to save those fools, then do so. We will have your heads, too! This will be a lesson to foreigners who are willing to abuse our country. In the name of Allah, we will win! _Allahu akbar!_ (God is great!)"

That broadcast makes the people more jittery and itching to condemn Mr. Victorialuna even more, knowing that he joined forces with the Abu Sayyaf to achieve his goal.

In the days that follow...

The pro-adminstration and pro-opposition forces formally decide to set aside their differences to condemn in unison the atrocity at NAIA and to voice their sympathy to the victims of intolerance. In a matter of hours, they hit every hotspot in Metro Manila via their string of rallies and protests. EDSA, Mendiola, the Bonifacio Monument, Luneta, Welcome Rotonda, you name it, they're at it. Lots of banners accompany their unified condemnation. Here are some samples.

Condemn this atrocity to heart! ---Kilusang Mayo Uno / Bayan Muna / Gabriela

Victorialuna resign! ---League of Filipino Students / ANAKBAYAN / National Union of Students of the Philippines

Justice for John and Heart! ---Pratts and Evangelista Fan Club

Kick that fool out of CHED! (_Sipain ang gunggong na ito palabas ng CHED!_) ---People's Movement Against Poverty

_Minna daisuki "To Heart" desu!_ ---The Ren'ai Games and Visual Novels Alliance of the Philippines

Hiroyuki, Akari, and co., you are not alone! ---Kasangga ni Gloria

This is a disgrace to both the Philippines and Japan! ---The Japanese Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines

As night dawns, more and more people heed the calls of sympathy and decide to join the rallies. The total number of rallyists number twenty million, a big one compared to EDSA I and II combined. Part of the reason can be traced to the multitudes who participated in the burial of Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin earlier.

Furthermore, if EDSA I had "Magkaisa" and EDSA II had "Heal Our Land", the song "Wag Kang Mag-Alala" quickly becomes the protesters' theme song.

* * *

_Chorus:  
Wag kang mag-alala,  
hindi ako mawawala  
Wag kang mag-alala,  
palagi mo akong kasama _

Sa paglipas ng panahon  
wag natin iwan ang kahapon  
Kay sarap balik-balikan  
ang ating napagdaanan  
Hindi mawawala ang ating mga alaala  
Palagi kong dala hanggang sa ating pagtanda

_(Repeat Chorus)_

_Natatandaan mo pa ba  
nu'ng una tayong nagkakilala  
medyo bata pa tayo noon pero  
kung iisipin gano'n pa rin ngayon  
nasa puso pa rin kita,  
hindi ka na mabubura  
Pangako sa iyo,  
sasama ako sa'n man patungo _

(Repeat Chorus)

_Kahit parang wala na tayong dadaanan pa  
at kahit na parang hindi na tayo magsasama  
hindi mo lang alam hindi kita pababayaan  
asahan mong hindi kita iiwan kailanman _

(Repeat Chorus)

_Palagi mo akong kasama.  
hindi ako mawawala...  
hindi ako mawawala..._

(English translation)

Chorus:  
Don't worry  
I won't disappear  
Don't worry  
You will always be with me

As time passes  
We musn't leave the past behind  
It's so fun to reminisce  
The times that we have passed  
Our memories won't be lost  
I will carry them until we grow old

(Repeat Chorus)

Do you still remember when we've first met?  
We were still kids, but  
Come to think of it, it's still the same today  
You are still in my heart; you won't be erased  
My promise to you, I'll follow you wherever you go

(Repeat Chorus)

Though it seems that we won't have any more roads to walk  
and though it seems that we won't be together anymore  
You just don't know that I won't ignore you  
Rest assured that I won't leave you forever

(Repeat Chorus)

You will always be with me.  
I won't disappear...  
I won't disappear...

* * *

Meanwhile... 

Mr. Victorialuna immediately knows what is going on. And he is disgusted at the unity that is portrayed at the rallies.

"Those people who sympathize with those betrayers of the nation do not deserve to be called Filipinos! They are NOT Filipinos! And furthermore, they united to get me out! What were they sniffing? clears throat For times like this, I have a plan B."

What's his plan B? A forbidden spell. Here's his chant.

"_Kapangyarihan ng kadiliman, bigyan mo ako ng pagkakataon para manaig ang pagkakahati-hati ng mga taong gustong magbagsak sa akin!_ (Power of darkness, please give me the chance to let division prevail among those who want to bring me down!) Merpa yorleth qualgias amonra shilakbou klaatu! Spell of Ultimate Hatred, come forth!"

In a matter of seconds, dark clouds rise forth at the top of the rally sites. The people wonder for a moment, but then, their eyes now glow a bloody crimson.

"Those opposition war freaks are here, too? How am I supposed to kick Victorialuna out with them stinking up the air?"

"Hey! You pro-Arroyo dogs will never be worthy of makin' permanent change!"

"If we won't solve it with idle banter..."

"We'll just fight each other to see who's boss!"

And with those words, the pro-administration and pro-opposition forces now try to obliterate each other using every means possible. Rocks, stones, banners, everything that can be picked up and heaved or thrown. In a matter of minutes, the streets are dyed with the blood of unfortunate casualties.

Wait, there's more. The leaders of the pro-administration and pro-opposition forces are magically transported to EDSA Shrine. There, they face off.

Sandra Cam and Samuel Ong: We whistleblowers will ensure that you filthy liars won't prevail!

Cong. Joey Salceda: Filthy liars? Do you think that everyone who's siding with PGMA is on the devil's side? Emotion-driven infidels!

Cong. Francis Escudero: We, the bastions of truth, will do everything to remove any roadblocks to exposing the truth! We are fighting for the truth!

Ignacio Bunye: As Her Majesty's spokesman, I'm not hiding anything for that matter. You are just shouting out.

Rez Cortez: Then we'll just settle it with a fight! Once you dogs are gone, that President Evil will be next on our menu!

Speaker Jose de Venecia: Really? Huh? Will I laugh? Don't say that you're Korean because you can do taekwondo! Don't mess with the Congress, 'cause we're the type that won't back out!

Archbishop Oscar Cruz: All your stolen votes and jueteng money are belong to us! You are on the way to destruction! Ha ha ha!

The rest of the pro-administration and pro-opposition leaders: GRRRR! KILL! KILL! KILL!

After that squabbling, they now involve themselves in a bloodfest.

Furthermore, the members of the Cabinet also fight each other. More specifically, the ones who revoked their positions and are calling for Pres. Arroyo's resignation versus the ones who still remain loyal to her. Their brawl happens somewhere near Welcome Rotonda.

And the worst-case scenario as a result of those dark clouds is happening, too. President Arroyo and Susan Roces, the women who are the symbols of the now-opposing forces, suddenly appear on the rooftop of Malacanang Palace. They exchange glaring stares against a thunderstorm backdrop before busting out their pent-up fury.

The president says, "So, the desperate widow has appeared in front of me."

Mrs. Roces answers, "And you, the mother of all liars and plunderers, is in front of me, too."

"Why do you make sweeping comments on me and my family? It's disgusting to hear from your rotten mouth even though I apologized for my lapse in judgment."

"I'm saying it again and again. I won't accept your sorry. You and your aliies will not only be consumed in the flames of hell, but also subject to never-ending condemnation from the struggling masses!"

"You're really going too offensive, Mrs. Desperate Widow. While I try to get back my lost credibility, you use every means to discredit me. What a shame."

"YOU WILL BE DEFEATED! SCORNED! BY THE TRUE FILIPINOS! THE MASSES!"

"Enough of your useless babbling." Pres. Arroyo then raises her right hand. "Brute force and emotion-driven mob rule must not prevail. Respect the rule of law. For those reasons, I invoke the power of the Wizard!"

Mrs. Roces also raises her right hand. "In the name of my disgraced husband, Fernando Poe, Jr., I will vanquish you with all my strength! For that reason, I invoke the power of the Knight!"

The two women are transformed into powerful combatants, ready to blast each other with their skills. They both say, "Let's start!"

"Heaven's Drive!"

"Two-Hand Quicken!"

"Jupitel Thunder!"

"Spear Quicken!"

"Storm Gust!"

"Spear Boomerang!"

"Lord of Vermillion!"

"Magnum Break!"

"Meteor Storm!"

"Bowling Bash!"

Those skills they bust out literally destroy the surface of Malacanang. And the two still keep on fighting, like an endless PVP duel.

And as expected, Mr. Victorialuna is happy at the bloodshed that he orchestrated.

"Bwahahahahaha! The price of unity is death! They deserve to die! Someday, when those locusts are gone, I will establish a transition revolutionary junta where I, and only I, can rule with an iron fist! This is to ensure that more betrayers and Japanese worms alike do not prevail! Bwahahahahaha! _Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!_"

Over the next few days, this grim sight of bloodshed hurts the entire country more than a kick in the nuts. The peso-dollar rate tumbles to a record low of Php75, and the stock market suffers more. Investors are fleeing, and work and school days are interrupted.

Now, let's set our sight to Hero and Sandara. They are lovelorn due to their separation (Sandara went back to Korea shortly before Hiroyuki and co.'s arrival) when they hear of the grim news.

At the Angeles residence...

Hero's mom: Why are you sad, my son? Our legal dispute against Cristy Fermin is over, but why?

Hero: Not only am I sad because Sandara's not with me, but because of the bloody civil war happening here in Metro Manila.

Hero's mom: Bloody civil war?

Hero: The pro-adminstration and pro-opposition people are killing each other literally, mom. And it's the result of their endless bickering.

Hero's mom: Oh, dearie me... (faints)

Hero: Mom? Mom? Are you OK?

At the Park residence...

Sandara: As I've expected... a great danger came... I feel sorry for the poor Filipinos... dragged into this political upheaval... So what will I do? Go back? I... wanted... to... see... Hero... again...

Sandara's dad: Sandy, why are you muttering in front of the TV? (sets his sights on the TV) Oh, great spirits! A tremendous civil war in the Philippines? (faces Sandara) Listen, if you value your life very much, don't go back to the Philippines again! You might be killed in the mess that they have made!

Sandara: I won't, Father! I've loved the Philippines very much the same way those Filipinos loved me, so I must do something to pay back the kindness! I must save them from the abysmal downward spiral that they are heading for!

Sandara's dad: (sighs) I revoke what I've said. You've grown into a fine woman. You are now fighting for what is right. So, hail forth as an ambassador of goodwill and fight for truth, justice, and equality. I won't stop you.

Sandara: Why thank you, dad! (hugs him)

Two days later...

Hero, sensing that Sandara will go back to the Philippines, goes to NAIA alone. And his hunch finally comes true.

Hero: S... Sandy!

Sandara: Oh, Hero!

They quickly approach each other, ending in a slow-mo of them hugging each other. They also shed some tears of joy.

Hero: Thank God, you're back!

Sandara: Same goes for me.

Hero: I bet that you've heard of the bloodshed plauging our country, right?

Sandara: Right. That's why I came back. To save this country that I regard as my second home.

Hero: You are not alone. I'm also fighting for that purpose. Let's fight together.

Together, they immediately board a taxi heading for EDSA. Upon their arrival at EDSA, they cannot believe what they are seeing.

Sandara: No... this can't be...

Hero: Fighting each other because of rotten politics...

Sandara: What'll we do now?

Hero: We must convince them to stop their brutality! (breathes heavily and shouts) ALL OF YOU! STOP THAT NONSENSE BRAWLING! DO YOU THINK YOU CAN GET FAR BY OBLITERATING YOUR SUPPOSED-TO-BE POLITICAL ENEMIES?

But the people who are fighting, being provoked by Hero's shout, set their sights on the pair. Their eyes still emit that crimson glare.

Fighting protester 1: What! You got an issue with that?

Sandara: Look, it's me, Sandara Park! Can't you all recognize me?

Fighting protester 2: No! I don't know you! And I suspect that you're on the enemy's side! DIE! DIE! DIE!

A bunch of protesters then charge wildly at the pair, ready to attack.

Hero: Our plan isn't working! Run for our lives!

The pair runs to get away from the marauding protesters until they find an abandoned shack somewhere near Camp Aguinaldo.

Sandara: Whew. I think that they won't see us.

Hero: Hey, Sandy. Do you also know the incident wherein thirteen Japanese are captured and our buddies, John and Heart, are killed?

Sandara: What? That's brutal!

Hero: I've heard that those thirteen were sent to Basilan. We must save them, because I feel that they are innocent.

Sandara: I agree.

Hero: From now on, we devise a final approach: rescue them and convince them to fight as vigilantes. Only then the complete healing of this ugly and beautiful country will happen. We'll defeat the root cause of this mess. This is called... the Star-Encircled Dragon Quest!

Sandara: Right on! Rock on!


	4. Episode 4

Episode 4: The Mean Sinister Deranged Killer Bunny Rabbit of Death! 

Sandara: But wait... how will we accomplish that?

Hero: Heh heh. Good question. I think that we must navigate the whole Philippines in the shortest time possible while not jeopardizing our security. We'll first board a helicopter going to Cebu, and then ride a ship going to Davao, and then ride a boat bound for Basilan. Easy as pie.

Sandara: But actually hard to do. So who will we trust first?

Hero: We're near Camp Aguinaldo, so the first step is to meet the AFP Chief of Staff.

Sandara: OK.

The pair then approaches the office of the Chief of Staff, Gen. Efren Abu.

Gen. Abu: Good morning, civilians. I think you're two of the products of Star Circle Quest, right? Mr. Hero Angeles and Ms. Sandara Park?

Hero: Yes, we are. We need to beg for your help.

Gen. Abu: What kind of help?

Sandara: You see... (narrates the events from the NAIA incident to the bloody civil war) Therefore, in order to prevent our beloved country from plunging into the abyss, please send us one of your helicopters to rescue the Japanese hostages in Basilan.

Gen. Abu: We military officers usually don't borrow our hardware to civilians, but since I'm the only one remaining in Camp Aguinaldo...

Hero: Why's that? You might get ambushed!

Gen. Abu: All of my subordinates, even the heads of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines, plus the countless lower-ranked officers and privates, and even the policemen who are in Camp Crame, who are all supposed to quell the warring protesters; are unluckily dragged into their own little royal rumble. I personally do not know the true reason behind all this, because the Intelligence Service of the AFP is inactive since this civil war began.

At the same time... back in Japan...

The president of the Kurusugawa conglomerate is saddened by the abduction of Serika, Ayaka, Multi, and Serio. Two granddaughters and two maid robots made by one of the companies in the group.

"I cannot believe that they were forced into an unexpected circumstance... Naturally, I will not pull this zaibatsu out of the Philippines because of the chaos that arose from that incident alone. I still have confidence in the Filipinos, even though they were the victims of the brute occupation that we started. There is still hope!"

He then calls one of the butlers, who is apparently Serika's.

"Yes, sir. What is your reason for summoning me?"

"You know what happened to Lady Serika, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Please contact the Philippine Embassy, because I'm arranging a meeting with them."

"At once, sir."

After two hours...

Someone who is oddly-dressed swiftly comes to the Kurusugawa Group HQ.

The president: You are an agent that was sent by the Philippine Embassy as agreed, right?

Oddly-dressed guy: Yes, siree. Because I'm the one and only agent known only as...

Some random guy: Yuuichi Aizawa!

Oddly-dressed guy: No! I'm not that male protagonist in "Kanon", dammit!

Some random guy: Eherm... sorry. Super Sawsaw!

The president: Now, Super Sawsaw-san. I actually have a plan to release my granddaughters, my most-trusted maid robots, and their friends, from their hostage crisis. That plan is for Kurusugawa Electronics to convert the prototype HMX-12 into a fighting robot, much like what Dr. Light did to create MegaMan. Once that is outfitted with our confidential weapons, the one responsible for this mess will not stand a chance.

Super Sawsaw: So what will I do, dude?

The president: That prototype maid robot that I mentioned earlier, you see, is one of the hostages. Bring her to our laboratory in Cebu so that my plan will be complete. You know where she is, right?

Super Sawsaw: Correct! I've toured the Philiipines when I was a celebrity, so I won't break a sweat.

The president: So go now. I want this operation to be a success so that this zaibatsu will survive.

Super Sawsaw: Okey-dokey! (leaves)

The president: Be careful... Lady Serika and Lady Ayaka... because you two will be the heirs to my throne...

OK, back to the Philippines. More specifically, the CHED main office.

"What is this? Two more celebrities aiming to become betrayers of the nation? I'll quash those two insects the same way I crushed Mr. Pratts and Ms. Evangelista! But this time, I won't do it alone. I have assigned three loyal subordinates. One in Luzon, one in Visayas, and one in Mindanao. This is not only to ensure my complete rule over this nation, but also to ensure the punishment of all who dare oppose me!"

Mr. Victorialuna then calls the three subordinates.

Subordinate no. 1: I am Big Bunny. I will munch those tasty betrayers of the nation.

Subordinate no. 2: I am King Bukbok of the Buga-Buga Tribe. The enemy's butts will not stand a chance against my Buga-Buga Arts!

Subordinate no. 3: I AM MENINGOCOCCEMIA MAN. TRAITORS WILL BE INFECTED TO DEATH.

Mr. Victorialuna then instructs, "Now! Make sure that you do my bidding quickly and cleanly. Understood?"

The subordinates agree, and then leave.

Now back to Camp Aguinaldo.

Gen. Abu: So I, as the leader of the armed forces, will humbly agree to your request.

Hero: Thank you, sir.

Gen. Abu: One fully-operational helicopter is currently stationed near the AFP Theater. You must use it wisely, because I will tell this sad but true fact. With this crisis, for the first time in Philippine history, the military and the police have blatantly failed to do their constitutional jobs. But hopefully, I sense the fighting spirit in you, therefore you will defend the nation in our places. Good luck.

Sandara: This may be a big burden, but we'll still do our best. (bows)

The pair then leaves for the helicopter. They are just 25 meters away from it when they sense something.

Hero: Ugh... my head... it hurts...

Sandara: What? This head of mine hurts too...

Suddenly, a portal appears and from it comes out a huge pink rabbit.

Hero: What the heck is this big pink rabbit doing here?

Huge pink rabbit: I am Big Bunny. I come here under Melficio Victorialuna's orders.

Sandara: Melficio... Victorialuna? I strongly think that he's the one causing this whole bloody civil war!

Big Bunny: Yes. All who have gone against him were turned into delicious, crispy, creamy appetizers. And so are you, if you resist me.

Hero: Dang...

Big Bunny: Come into my mouth, yummy children!

_Battle 5, commence!  
Allies: Hero, Sandara  
Enemy: Big Bunny (HP: 2,505)  
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to attack Big Bunny. He deals 167 damage to him.  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to attack Big Bunny. She deals 48 and 82 damage to him.  
Big Bunny gets a turn. He chooses to attack Sandara. Sandara takes 56 damage.  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast No Dong on Big Bunny. She deals 306 damage to him.  
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to attack Big Bunny. He deals 214 damage to him.  
Big Bunny: Now I'm mad! Big Bunny gets a turn. He chooses to cast IQ Reducer on all allies. All allies' INT down.  
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to attack Big Bunny. He deals 191 damage to him.  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast No Dong on Big Bunny. She deals 153 damage to him.  
Big Bunny gets a turn. He chooses to cast Munch Munch on all allies. Hero takes 101 damage, while Sandara takes 100 damage. Sandara is now in critical condition.  
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to cast First Aid on himself. He recovers 150 HP.  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to use Gatorade on herself. She recovers 150 HP. Critical condition removed.  
Big Bunny gets a turn. He chooses to cast IQ Reducer on all allies. But nothing happened!  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses chooses to attack Big Bunny. She deals 65 and 65 damage to him.  
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to attack Big Bunny. He deals 381 damage to him. A critical hit!  
Big Bunny gets a turn. He chooses to attack Hero. Hero takes 65 damage.  
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to attack Big Bunny. He deals 400 damage to him. A critical hit!  
The effect of IQ Reducer wears off.  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast No Dong on Big Bunny. She deals 433 damage to him, KOing him.  
Big Bunny: I will roast you tasty children just like what Albert Fish and Jeffrey Dahmer did! Unguahh!  
Battle 5 won!_

Unidentified voice: You may have killed Big Bunny, but the butt-wiper and the disease carrier will have your heads!

Hero: Show yourself!

Sandara: Hero, it's just a warning. At least we know what are the risks that we're heading for.

Hero: Yeah. C'mon, let's ride the chopper.

And so, the duo finally ride the chopper. Destination: Cebu.

The man who gave the warning firmly stands at the rooftop of the AFP Theater, looking at the chopper as it flies away. Afterwards, he leaves via a portal, laughing evilly.


	5. Episode 5

Episode 5: Buga-Buga / The Maid Robot Does a MegaMan 

Meanwhile, in Basilan...

Hiroyuki and co. are currently sulking inside the prison cell located in a secret hideout of the Abu Sayyaf. An ASG member arrives at the cell to give food to them.

ASG member: Now eat!

Hiroyuki: Hey! Our ration today's smaller than yesterday's!

ASG member: Shut up, or I'll kill you first!

Akari: Hiroyuki-chan, don't whine. A little food's better than nothing.

Hiroyuki: OK, fine.

As the ASG member leaves, everyone except Multi and Serio (remember, they're robots) eats the food given to them.

Akari: To tell you the truth, I worry more about Multi and Serio.

Hiroyuki: But why?

Akari: In this cell, there's no power source to charge them up. It will be a matter of time before their batteries run out.

Shiho: And according to my intelligence gatherings, we're inside a secluded camp. Access to charging stations is therefore limited. If we carry them outside when they're out of power...

Hiroyuki: OK, I get the picture.

Masashi: We're also heavily guarded, so our chances of escaping free are less than 0.008.

Hiroyuki: Dang, isn't there any other way!

Tomoko: The Philippine military will certainly rescue us the same way they did to rescue the Burnhams.

Akari: I know. But we can't always depend on them.

Ayaka: Only a miracle will free us.

Serika: ...

Fortunately for them, a miracle is beginning to happen. Why? Because of Super Sawsaw's quick and stealthy arrival near the camp. He easily snatches the uniform of an ASG member and proceeds to the prison cell like a ninja, swift and unnoticed, in that costume.

Super Sawsaw: Hello, guys and gals!

Hiroyuki: Is it you again?

Super Sawsaw: Nah. It's Sawsaw. Super Sawsaw.

Some random guy: Hey, you just ignored me!

Akari: Are you with them?

Super Sawsaw: Nope. Just snatched a costume from an incompetent member and voila! I'm here.

Hiroyuki: What are you doing here, anyway?

Super Sawsaw: I have been assigned by the Kurusugawa Group to take Multi, a.k.a. HMX-12, for an important purpose.

Both Serika and Ayaka raise their eyebrows.

Ayaka: Are you going to kidnap her?

Multi: What do you want with me?

Super Sawsaw: Relax, it's a direct order from the president. He said that he'll convert Multi into a fighting robot in order to free all of you from those stinkin' Muslim extremists.

Akari: But why won't you free all of us immediately instead?

Super Sawsaw: Minimize casualties, you know. An ounce of strategic thinkin' is better than a pound of guns blazin'.

Hiroyuki: OK, I got it. Everyone, be vigilant. There is really a miracle after all. A miracle made by this man will eventually save us all. And Multi, good luck to you.

Multi: Good luck also to all of you.

Super Sawsaw: (while holding Multi) And please don't forget to watch my adventures in "Yes Yes Show"! Adios! (leaves via a smoke bomb)

Hiroyuki: Hey, why is there a mannequin that looks exactly like Multi here?

Tomoko: To clear any suspicion that we freed Multi.

Hiroyuki: Glad he did that.

As instructed, Super Sawsaw, clutching Multi, swiftly trudges the path to Kurusugawa Electronics' secret laboratory in Cebu for her conversion.

While Multi is being converted, Hero and Sandara's chopper is being shot down by homing spears. The two then fall into a freshly-dug pit covered with banana leaves. In a matter of minutes, several men who only wear G-strings come out of the bushes. They capture the duo and then they send them to their main hideout.

When the men arrive at the hideout, King Bukbok notices the captured duo. He unties their hands and asks for their names. "You are now the prisoners of the Buga-Buga Tribe. We won't let you free unless you agree to let us perform the Buga-Buga Arts on you!" the King shouts.

"What the heck is Buga-Buga?" Hero asks.

"We will literally hit your butts. That's Buga-Buga. If you refuse, we will kill you. Otherwise, you will be free!" the King says.

Hero and Sandara look at each other nervously. They don't know what will happen to them.

Sandara is called first. "Death or Buga-Buga?" the King asks.

"I choose Buga-Buga!" Sandara shouts. Two tribesmen then whack her butt.

Hero can't stomach the humiliation being done to Sandara. After all, he and she are a love team. He will defend her to the death.

With that thought in mind, Hero abruptly shouts, "I choose to die!"

"Death by Buga-Buga!" the King responds. "OK, men, slaughter him!"

The whacks received by Hero are more painful. After all, he is prepared to die. But, Sandara can't bear to see her one and only being beaten to death. She shouts, "HHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRROOOOOOOOO!"

But while Sandara shouts in agony, an explosion occurs near King Bukbok's throne. That catches the whole tribe's attention.

"OK, we'll both play dead," Hero instructs Sandara.

While the duo is playing dead, a figure arises from the explosion. The one with short, green hair, the antenna-ear thingies, and now, a concealed arm cannon.

She's none other than... Multi!

"Grrrr... you show up at an unexpected time, you party-pooper!" the King shouts in anger.

"Your reign of evil ends now..." says Multi in an honorable tone.

"Hahahaha! It's a whole tribe against you! Buga-Buga, CHARGE!"

And all of the tribesmen charge towards Multi, but she seems unfazed by them. Instead, she points her right arm towards them. And in a matter of seconds, that right arm turns into the arm cannon. "W-what will you do?" the King says in fear.

"I am the divine light  
I wield the power of truth  
My mind is clear  
My heart is pure  
Holy Father  
To You, I commend my soul  
Give me the strength  
To smite my enemies  
Let justice prevail...  
Let evil be undone..."

"CHARGE SHOT..." she says while a ball of light emanates from the arm cannon. She then shouts "NOW!", and the ball of light turns into a white laser that pierces through the tribesmen, eliminating them easily.

"NNNNOOOO! You will pay! Mr. Victorialuna will get mad at me! In revenge, I'll challenge you to a great showdown at San Juanico Bridge! Tomorrow! At high noon! You won't survive by then, I assure!" King Bukbok says angrily before he and his remaining tribesmen leave hastily.

Multi's right arm goes back to normal before she notices Hero and Sandara, who are still playing dead. She approaches them and wakes them up.

"Oooohhh... is it you again...?" Hero says while recovering from playing dead.

"Is it over...?" Sandara says while also recovering.

"Good thing I saved you and your butts from literal punishment," Multi says with a smile.

"Who are you, anyway?" Hero asks.

Multi introduces herself, and so does the love team.

"We plan to go to Basilan to save the Japanese hostages from the Abu Sayyaf," Sandara explains.

"To tell you the truth, I was one of them," Multi responds.

"WHAT!" Hero and Sandara say surprisingly.

The maid robot then explains the events from her rescue by Super Sawsaw to her conversion.

"What an interesting story it is," Sandara commends.

"Wait," Multi interrupts the two, who are planning to leave immediately. "That tribe... what is it called?"

"Buga-Buga," the two answer.

"OK, the leader of the Buga-Buga Tribe said that he'll challenge me to a fight at San Juanico Bridge by noon tomorrow. If you plan to join me, that's fine," Multi says.

"Three heads are better than one, anyway," Hero responds. "We might not be able to reach Basilan if that pesky butt-kicker stands in the way. So we'll join you."

"Alrighty! I'm so happy," Multi jumps with joy.

"We'd best prepare for tomorrow," Sandara remarks.

The next day, 12 noon, San Juanico Bridge.

The newly-formed trio and the remaining members of the tribe assemble themselves at the opposite ends of the big bridge.

King Bukbok shouts via his megaphone, "OK, Maverick, come out now and fight all of us, who are 3,000 strong! If you joined forces with those two hostages, it's still fine with me, because I will whoop all of your butts in the end!"

Multi also whips up her megaphone and blurts out, "We are ready anytime! Just you wait and see! We will save our comrades in Basilan after we make short work of you!"

"WHAT! Those Japanese bastards in Basilan who are about to be beheaded are your allies? You really piss me off! That sense of justice you have will be gone once you are all defeated!"

(Mini-game: Clash on the Big Bridge)  
(Description: This mini-game will follow the gameplay mechanics of "MegaMan X8". Hero, Sandara, and Multi will fight individually. If one of those combatants is in a critical condition, he/she must tag to give way to another one. If the life bar drops to 0, it's game over.)  
(Combatant descriptions:  
Hero is a melee fighter. His attacks deal a good chunk of damage, and can attack multiple enemies in a single swing. However, his attacks are ineffective against enemies with high physical defense.  
Sandara is a hybrid fighter. She can also do melee attacks like Hero, but her attacks have shorter range, inflict lower damage, and do not attack multiple enemies. Her other ability as a hybrid fighter is casting offensive magic. Her offensive magic attacks multiple enemies and pierces through high-physical-defense enemies. The only downside is the relatively long casting time.  
Multi is a long-range fighter. She can switch from automatic mode (rapid-fire mode) to manual mode (rifle mode) and vice-versa. She can also bring out a charge shot, which adds defense-ignoring damage. However, it also requires some casting time.)

The first quarter of the bridge contains normal Buga-Buga tribesmen. Hero dispatches them easily with repeated swings of his sword.

But at the end of the first quarter, he faces an armored carrier that continuously pours out dozens of tribesmen. He charges towards the armored carrier and attacks it, but to no avail. And because of the tribesmen who immediately attack upon coming out, Hero takes some damage.

"OK, Multi, you take care of this!" Hero says as he tags out.

As soon as Multi tags in, she immediately snuffs out the tribesmen with rapid-fire shots, and then focuses on the armored carrier. She busts out her charge shot, which eliminates the armored carrier in an instant.

The second quarter of the bridge contains four armored carriers. Though Multi eliminates the tribesmen in either automatic or manual mode, she can't focus on the armored carriers because of the sheer number of tribesmen who come out.

"Miss Sandara, please blast them with your magic!" Multi says as she tags out.

Sandara takes advantage of the apparently smaller number of tribesmen who come out of the carriers to cast offensive magic. Just as soon as one of the tribesmen attack her, the offensive spell comes out and clears the second quarter of all enemies, even the carriers.

The third quarter of the bridge contains mostly airborne enemies. Sandara tries to use the same tactic, but a bullet from an airborne enemy cuts off her casting time. She suffers medium damage.

"Hero! I leave this to you!" Sandara says as she tags out.

Fortunately, Hero's sword has the extra feature of reflecting enemy shots. With that in mind, Hero continuously swings his sword to defeat the airborne enemies.

The third quarter is then cleared of enemies, so Hero quickly proceeds to the fourth and final quarter, which is surprisingly empty.

"Hey you! Come out if you're a real man!" Hero shouts.

"Here I am, dumbhead!" King Bukbok shouts as he comes out. He is riding a mechanical suit of armor which is 10 times larger than himself, but looks exactly like him. "See this huge armor? This is where the people's taxes go! If you don't wanna waste it, don't fight me!"

"What a lame excuse. You just wasted the people's money which would otherwise be used for social services. Just like North Korea. Sandara told me this."

"Now, have at you!"

BOSS: Bukbok-Tron  
Strategy: The boss employs a barrier which can be broken either with Sandara's magic or Multi's charge shot. For a quicker time, have Multi break it, then switch to Sandara so you can hit the head with powerful magic. Repeat this strategy until the boss has fewer than 10 units of life left. Break its barrier a final time, then leap up and initiate the Triple Attack shockwave. Make sure the wave hits the head, so you can use that overpowered attack to finish off the boss.

Note: The Triple Attack is a one-time-only attack which involves the trio simultaneously attacking an enemy.

(End of mini-game)

The mechanical suit gets destroyed in a glorious blaze, but King Bukbok comes out of the rubble.

"How insulting to call my precious suit a waste of people's money! If you supporters of those Japanese terrorists have your way, the Philippines will be no more than a puppet state of you-know-what-country! So we have to build a massive army in order not to let this happen!" the king says.

"Build an army? In order to protect from the country that Multi came from? I bet that you work for Mr. Victorialuna and let many innocents die from that so-called 'defense'," Sandara replies.

"You are right. I work for Mr. Victorialuna because of the promise of being a true Son of the Nation once Japan and its influences are totally wiped out. And those innocents you're talking about? That's pure rubbish! I swear that they aren't innocent on the basis of supporting those future Jap terrorists. So they deserve the right to die, and I hope that they'll burn in hell."

"I--- I'm sick of those baseless arguments you have! I, together with my friends, went to the Philippines just to study. And we all have good intentions in doing that. But you and your boss have tarnished the image of the Philippines and Filipinos alike with your useless overprotection! Freedom dies whenever there is overprotection, remember?" Multi retorts.

"What a goody-two-shoes comment from a cute robot like you. Too bad that cuteness of yours will be gone once you and the two ex-hostages of mine will suffer an ANAL DEATH! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

_Battle 6, commence!  
Allies: Hero, Sandara, Multi  
Enemy: King Bukbok (HP: 14,560)  
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to attack King Bukbok. She deals 572 damage to him.  
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to cast Backdraft on King Bukbok. He deals 501 damage to him, but suffers 88 recoil damage.  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast Aja! on Hero. Hero's status points are up by 5.  
King Bukbok gets a turn. He chooses to attack Multi. Multi takes 168 damage.  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast No Dong on King Bukbok. She deals 918 damage to him.  
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to attack King Bukbok. She deals 403 damage to him.  
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to cast Take Cover! on Sandara. Any attack directed to Sandara will be redirected to him only once.  
King Bukbok gets a turn. He chooses to cast Anal Death on Sandara. But because of Hero's action, that attack is redirected to Hero. Hero becomes instantly KOed.  
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to use 1-Use Defribulator on Hero. Hero is revived with 251 HP left.  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast Aja! on Hero. Hero's status points are up by 5.  
King Bukbok gets a turn. He chooses to cast Buga-Buga Spears on Sandara. Sandara takes 500 damage. Sandara is now in critical condition.  
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to cast First Aid on himself. He recovers 300 HP.  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to use Nestea on herself. She recovers 300 HP. Critical condition removed.  
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to attack King Bukbok. She deals 482 damage to him.  
King Bukbok gets a turn. He chooses to attack Multi. But the attack missed!  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast Aja! on Hero. Hero's status points are up by 10.  
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to attack King Bukbok. She deals 500 damage to him.  
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to attack King Bukbok. He deals 3810 damage to him. A critical hit!  
King Bukbok gets a turn. He chooses to attack Hero. Hero takes 165 damage.  
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to attack King Bukbok. He deals 4000 damage to him. A critical hit!  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast No Dong on King Bukbok. She deals 1299 damage to him.  
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to attack King Bukbok. She deals 1076 damage to him. A critical hit!  
Hero gets a turn. He defends.  
Sandara gets a turn. She defends.  
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to attack King Bukbok. She deals 1075 damage to him, KOing him. A critical hit!  
King Bukbok: Mr. Victorialuna, forgive me for my incompetence!  
Battle 6 won!_

Because of King Bukbok's defeat, the trio surprisingly receives new special abilities!

Hero learns Sweep Slash!  
Description: Deal normal physical damage to all enemies.

Sandara learns Walang Sabit!  
Description: Stop an enemy's time progression, therefore making it unable to do anything for the rest of the battle.

Multi learns Buga-Buga Spears!  
Description: Deal physical damage to an enemy regardless of physical defense.

As a side note, Multi also learns Switch Weapon!  
Description: Switch Multi's default weapon from mop to arm cannon and vice versa.

"Two down, one to go," Hero remarks.

"What do you mean by that?" Multi asks.

"He means that there is still a subordinate of Mr. Victorialuna. If we defeat him, it's a hassle-free ride to Basilan," Sandara explains.

"I'm so glad that I've met you two," Multi replies. "You look much like Mr. Hiroyuki and Ms. Akari."

"Huh? Who are they?" Hero and Sandara say while they blush.

"My friends," Multi answers with a smile.

"OK, everyone. We'll reward ourselves with a vacation to Davao. I'm tired of all that fighting, anyway. And that'll be a trip for you to remember, Multi," Hero explains. "You'll see the true beauty of the Philippines."

"Yes, Mr. Hero and Ms. Sandara! We really deserve a break! Our vacation will be fun!" Multi responds.

The next day, the trio prepare themselves for the vacation. And what do they ride in order to go to Davao? A SuperFerry.


	6. Episode 6, Part 1

Episode 6: This Ugly and Beautiful Country / Bearers of the Sword

* * *

_Lapit mga kaibigan at makinig kayo (Listen up, yo)  
Ako'y may dala-dalang balita galing sa bayan ko (Listen closely, yo)  
Nais kong ipamahagi ang mga kuwento at mga pangyayaring nagaganap sa lupang pinangako_

* * *

The trio arrives in Davao an hour before noon the day after. Thankfully none of them got seasick along the way.

"Ready for our great adventure in Davao, Multi?" Hero and Sandara ask the maid robot.

And she responds with a smiling, resounding "Yes!"

First stop: The Rizal Park (no, not the Luneta). Hero acts like a tour guide there.

"This monument was built in honor of our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal."

Multi then asks, "Ree-chal?"

"Ri-zal."

"Ri-zal."

"You finally got it right, Multi. Anyway, if you think that he's only a doctor, you're wrong. He's also a poet, a novelist, an agriculturist, a businessman, a linguist, a teacher, an inventor..."

"Wow! He had lots of jobs! Incredible!"

"He may be a jack of all trades, but his greatest accomplishment was his writing of two novels, 'Noli Me Tangere' and 'El Filibusterismo'. Those two novels exposed the anomalies of the Spanish authorities who once ruled the Philippines. Of course, those Spanish dudes labeled him as a criminal and arrested him and had him executed. Moments before his execution, he wrote his well-known poem, aptly called 'My Last Farewell'. Then, he was shot to death by those Spanish dudes, but his death sparked a massive revolution that eventually kicked the Spanish out of the Philippines for good."

"What an inspiring story! I love it!"

"Man. That story I told you has made us all hungry. C'mon, let's grab a bite!"

Second stop: A Jollibee branch which is not that far from Rizal Park.

The trio orders their food as usual. But once they arrive at a dining table, Hero and Sandara notice Multi's strange movements.

"Multi? What's wrong with you?" Sandara ponders.

"Y... you... see, guys... I can't eat."

"You can't eat!" Hero is awed. "Are you on a diet or something?"

"No. It's because I'm a robot."

"A ROBOT!" Hero and Sandara exclaim. That event makes the other people inside set their sights on the trio, especially Multi.

"Uhh... excuse us, everyone. We're sorry. We're just startled, that's all," Hero apologizes to the people. The latter just get back to their eating and chatting.

Sandara then says to Multi, "I didn't notice that until now. Even your ears. They're... weird. But, when we were fighting the Buga-Buga Tribe, I think you're using a gun. Am I right?"

"No. I was modified. The shots that I made were not from a gun. They're from my arm cannon."

"Wow," Hero is awed again. "I never thought that a real-life version of Astro Boy would come true. And you're even cute!"

"Thanks for the compliment," Multi responds with a smile.

And so, the trio continues on their eating and chatting until they're ready to hit another Davao hotspot.

Third stop: Pearl Farm Resort. This time Sandara becomes the tour guide.

"Multi, this is called the Pearl Farm Resort. It's one of the many beaches in the Philippines that are world-class and therefore are on the beach lovers' radar!"

The maid robot is amazed by the crystalline seawater and the fine sand. "Oh... so... beautiful..."

The trio then spends their time beachcombing. They pick up rare seashells, junk left behind by tourists, and many other unmentionables at the beach.

Fourth and final stop: Mount Apo. Hero once again becomes the tour guide.

"Multi, this is called Mount Apo. It is one of the famous mountains here in the Philippines. Actually, it's a volcano. But then, this mountain has the highest peak in the whole country-- but the height of this baby's roughly 10 of Mount Everest's height, hehe."

As per a tourist's SOP, the trio buys some souvenirs.

After their "great adventure", the trio decides to go back to the city proper in order to ride a boat bound for Basilan. They first ride a bus from Mt. Apo to the city proper, and then they ride another bus that will send them to the seaport.

In the second bus...

Hero explains, "Now our R&R's finished. Now, we can save your comrades with confidence, right?"

And Multi once again responds with a smiling, resounding "Yes!"

But their conversation is cut off by the shouts of a vendor who immediately hops on the bus. His call line?

"Oh, buy now, buy now... hopia, peanuts, popcorn, corn snacks, corn on a cob, biscuit, juice, orange sweets, mineral water, siomai, siopao, toilet paper, quail egg, balot, penoy, chicharon, lottery ticket, Sweepstakes ticket. Buy now, buy now... cellphone, charger, backlight, casing, ringtone, logo, e-load, pass-a-load. Buy now, buy now... watermelon seeds, ice cream, squid, ice candy, durian, peanut brittle, cashew nuts, green peas, mixed nuts, candy, bubble gum, lollipop. Buy now, buy now..."

Multi exclaims, "I can't believe it! He beats even Ragnarok Online's Merchants in terms of the items that he sells!"

Sandara responds, "It's OK, Multi. At least that guy's making a decent living."

Hero interrupts, "Wait! I've heard durian!" He approaches the vendor and buys a slice of durian from him.

Once Hero goes back to where Sandara and Multi are seated, the maid robot smells the stink from that fruit.

"M-Mr. Hero, what's this stinky thingy? Get it away from me!"

"Relax, Multi. This is durian, one of Davao's famous products. The stinkier it gets the tastier."

"Well, I get jealous of you humans. When I was in school with Mr. Hiroyuki and Ms. Akari, I've wondered about many things that humans do besides work. Like, for example, what it's like to be hungry."

Sandara retorts, "You're an inquisitive one, alright."

"It's because I was once sent by Kurusugawa Electronics to school for a two-week test period so that I can collect data! I was sent back afterwards, but they finally decide to reinstate me!"

"Kurusugawa, huh?" Hero replies. "I've heard the name before. We Filipinos always buy electronics made by that company. But a maid robot? I thought that there was no such thing! But, why were you sent back, anyway?"

"I'll admit something to you guys, and please don't be angry with me. In whatever I do, I always screw up. Compared to my younger sister, Serio, I'm inferior in performing even the basic household chores. I thought that I would be dumped in the lab forever; but thanks to Mr. Hiroyuki and Ms. Akari and their friends, I was saved, knowing that I made friends with them! All because of my motto: Making others happy makes me happy, too!"

"We know your situation, Multi," Sandara replies. "You're a klutz, alright. A klutz with a golden heart."

Suddenly, the bus stops. Seconds later, a mysterious gas fills the interior of the bus, making everyone inside it (except for Hero, Sandara, Multi, and the bus conductor; for some strange reason) faint.

Hero exclaims, "Wh-What was that?"

The conductor says, "It might be engine trouble! Please remain in your seats while I check," and then checks out the outside of the bus.

He screams, "Ahhhhhh!" and goes back to the inside. "It's a demon-looking machine that possibly spewed out that strange gas!"

Sandara exclaims, "Oh, great spirits!"

The trio gets out of the bus. There they face a creature that has the descriptions that the conductor said. Beside it is a person who is unconscious.

The creature says, "MISSION. DISSOLVE. MINDANAO. REPUBLIC."

"Dang. Out of all places, we're at the Davao City Hall!" Hero exclaims.

Multi adds, "And who is that unconscious person? And are you a goon of Mr. Victorialuna?"

"FOR THE FIRST QUESTION, HE IS MAYOR RODRIGO DUTERTE. AND AS FOR THE SECOND QUESTION, I INDEED SERVE MELFICIO VICTORIALUNA. I AM MENINGOCOCCEMIA MAN. I WAS CREATED BY SOME SCIENTISTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY WHO WERE 'RE-EDUCATED' BY HIM. I FULFILL ONLY ONE PURPOSE: TO ENSLAVE THE WHOLE OF MINDANAO UNDER HIS RULE."

Sandara interrupts, "I knew that you're a servant of Mr. Victorialuna! But why are you targeting Mayor Duterte?"

"THAT PARASITE PLANS TO BUILD A SEPARATE REPUBLIC AWAY FROM MANILA BECAUSE HE THINKS THAT HE HAD ENOUGH OF POLITICS IN MANILA! MR. VICTORIALUNA DID NOT LIKE THE IDEA, SO HE SENT ME. THAT DREAM OF A MINDANAO REPUBLIC WILL DISAPPEAR IF THAT PESKY MAYOR IS GONE FOR GOOD!"

Hero argues, "Well, at least the people of Davao still love him, because he echoes their sentiments."

"FOOLS! THEY ARE ALL FOOLS! AND SO ARE YOU! I WILL INFECT YOU ALL WITH MENINGOCOCCEMIA! ELIMINATE... ALL!"

_Battle 7, commence!  
Allies: Hero, Sandara, Multi  
Enemy: Meningococcemia Man (HP: 29,016)  
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to attack Meningococcemia Man. She deals 1077 damage to him.  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast Aja! on Hero. Hero's status points are up by 10.  
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to cast Disabling Slash on Meningococcemia Man. He deals 1525 damage to him. Meningococcemia Man is now paralyzed.  
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to cast Switch Weapon on herself. Multi's default weapon is changed from mop to arm cannon.  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast No Dong on Meningococcemia Man. She deals 1799 damage to him.  
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to attack Meningococcemia Man. He deals 3705 damage to him. A critical hit!  
Meningococcemia Man's paralysis effect is now nullified.  
Meningococcemia Man gets a turn. He chooses to attack Hero. Hero takes 520 damage.  
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to cast Disabling Slash on Meningococcemia Man. He deals 1130 damage to him. But Meningococcemia Man is not paralyzed!  
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to attack Meningococcemia Man. She deals 1320 damage to him.  
Meningococcemia Man gets a turn. He chooses to attack Multi. Multi takes 148 damage.  
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to cast Buga-Buga Spears on Meningococcemia Man. She deals 4820 damage to him.  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast Aja! on Multi. Multi's status points are up by 9.  
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to cast First Aid on himself. He recovers 600 HP.  
Meningococcemia Man: INITIALIZING MENINGOCOCCEMIA OUTBREAK.  
Meningococcemia Man gets a turn. He chooses to cast Meningococcemia Outbreak on all allies. Hero and Sandara are now afflicted with Poison and Slow.  
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to use Blood of Andy Gibb on Sandara. All of Sandara's bad status effects are now nullified.  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to use Blood of Andy Gibb on Hero. All of Hero's bad status effects are now nullified.  
Meningococcemia Man gets a turn. He chooses to attack Multi. Multi takes 350 damage.  
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to cast Backdraft on Meningococcemia Man. He deals 1002 damage to him, but suffers 176 recoil damage.  
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to attack Meningococcemia Man. She deals 1612 damage to him.  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast Aja! on Hero. Hero's status points are up by 5.  
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to cast Take Cover! on Multi. Any attack directed to Multi will be redirected to him only once.  
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to cast Buga-Buga Spears on Meningococcemia Man. She deals 4280 damage to him.  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast Aja! on herself. Sandara's status points are up by 12.  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast No Dong on Meningococcemia Man. She deals 7130 damage to him, KOing him.  
Meningococcemia Man: AGH! CRITICAL DAMAGE! CRITICAL DAMAGE! YOU... TRAITORS... WILL... BE... INFECTED... SOON...  
Battle 7 won!_

With Meningococcemia Man defeated, the strange gas disappears, and all of the people who are fainted, including Mayor Duterte, are now recovered.

The other passengers in the bus witness the triumphant act done by the trio, though they did not witness the battle themselves. Because deep inside, they know that the three have saved the mayor from a clear and present danger.

"What happened here? (pause) Hey! Who are you three? And what's with the scraps of metal near me?" the mayor interrogates.

The trio then introduce themselves.

"We came here for a vacation, until a robot attacked you and your constituents with his simulated meningococcemia gas," Hero explains. "We did the natural thing: defeating him and saving you all."

"What the heck? Who could have done this infection thing?" the mayor asks.

"It's none other than the head of the Commission on Higher Education, Melficio Victorialuna," Sandara finishes.

"I knew it," the mayor replies. "Over the past few weeks, I've been browsing the national news. One news article said that Mr. Victorialuna will lead an ultra-nationalist campaign that strictly abhors all foreign ideas, especially Japanese ones. And according to a report by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, he took advantage of the political crisis stemming from the electoral doubts that President Arroyo is facing in order for his plan to come to fruition. This whole national mess all started when he himself stormed Ninoy Aquino International Airport and killed two teen stars and captured thirteen Japanese tourists. When he learned that the administration and the opposition had united to condemn that incident, he set off a civil war so that those two sides will destroy each other."

"And I was one of the thirteen," Multi interrupts. "Until someone saved me and outfitted me with an arm cannon to save them all."

"Oh! Miss Multi, I saw your name in the news, so it's all obvious to me. And to make the long story short, I soon grew tired of the events that transpired in Manila, so I decided to spearhead the concept of a Mindanao Republic."

"Mindanao Republic? So that's what that robot is talking about!" the trio says in unison.

"Yes. If the politicians in Manila cannot do anything to enrich this region once called 'the Promised Land', I and my sympathizers can and will by completely breaking off with them and making this an independent yet prosperous republic. Mr. Victorialuna thought of that concept as dangerous and unpatriotic, so he had plans to liquidate me."

"And we came here to help you by chance," Hero retorts. "And that was just part of our ultimate goal: to free Multi's comrades and convince them to fight against Mr. Victorialuna."

"How noble is your intention! If you guys can really save our nation from total ruin, then I will happily scrap my plans of that Mindanao Republic. And by the way, I'll mention something about the opposition's purported flag-bearer, Susan Roces. I once met her, and though I may be an ally of Pres. Arroyo, I really had a good time with her."

"Really?" the trio asks in awe.

Meanwhile, back in Manila (specifically the Malacanang Palace)...

The smoke clears, and the surface of the palace is now a smoldering ruin. Beneath the ruins, Pres. Arroyo and Susan Roces are down on their knees, breathing heavily.

"You... are no... pushover... pompous... widow..." Pres. Arroyo says faintly.

"You... can't... just... give... up... the... throne..." Mrs. Roces also says faintly.

"Not... yet... I'm... still... the... legitimate... president... Even... though... I... skipped... the... State... of... the... Nation... Address... and... the... impeachment... trial... that... I... expected... was dead..."

"All... because... of... your... minions... trying... to... appease... an... already... enraging... nation... Doing... everyting... just... to... stay... in... power..."

"Persistent... emotion-driven... barbarians..."

"Barbarians... we... are... NOT!" Mrs. Roces stands up while holding a large wound. "We... fight... for the truth! And the... expose... of... your sins... against... the Filipino people... is the... only... path... to genuine... progress..."

The widow of the Action King raises her sword to the still-dark sky, then chants the following.

"I have an ally... inside me... who has realized her wrongs... in choosing you as the... leader of the nation. Now... all she wants... is your elimination... from the presidency. Soul Fusion with Corazon Cojuangco Aquino, materialize!"

Yellow specks of light form around Mrs. Roces, and in a few seconds, a combined form of Mrs. Roces and Mrs. Aquino appears before the embattled president's eyes.

"Why... Cory... why?"

"I have made not only a physical pact with her as an ally of my United Opposition, but also a soul pact with her in order to use her powers against a former ally. And that former ally is you!" Mrs. Roces says with Mrs. Aquino's voice.

"You... have... used... HER! I won't forgive you for this!"

And with that, their seemingly endless PVP duel starts all over again.

Back to Davao.

With the situation back to normal, Hero, Sandara, and Multi show up at Mayor Duterte's office.

"So, you all decide to leave immediately for Basilan?" the mayor asks the three.

"A big yes!" responds the three.

"A word of advice here. We just received intelligence reports that Indonesian suicide bombers have made their way through our country. And I'm very confident that they are key allies to the Abu Sayyaf. Be cautious at all times."

Hero asks, "So what will we gonna do? Swim all the way from here to Basilan? Multi would rust if we did that!"

"And though I have propeller wings, it'll be too heavy for me to carry Mr. Hero and Ms. Sandara to Basilan," Multi adds.

"Alright, already. I've made arrangements with the administration of our seaport to provide you with a high-speed boat for you three to ride," the mayor reacts.

"Oh, thank you!" Sandara says with joy.

"And one final message before I send you all off."

The three question, "What?"

"Our country today is filled with people who think of nothing but themselves. Where have all the efforts of heroes like Rizal and Bonifacio gone? Sadly, with this ugly political cancer that we're suffering, our supply of modern heroes has dwindled to a few. We sometimes forget the deeds of modern heroes like the honest taxi driver, the industrious overseas worker, and the caring social worker. But there is still a glimmer of hope left! You three are the real personifications of that glimmer of hope. You do not necessarily sacrifice your lives to save this once-beautiful Philippines once again. You will live as legends in the annals of our long-winded history... forever."

"Thank you, Mayor. Wish us luck!"

And the trio leaves the Davao City Hall with confidence. They then hop on to the seaport, ride on the boat, and presto! Their adventure still continues.

(to be continued)


	7. Episode 6, Part 2

Episode 6: This Ugly and Beautiful Country / Bearers of the Sword (continued)

The stage now shifts to Basilan.

Conversation between male (believed to be H. Fujita) and female (believed to be A. Kamigishi) on 292143H August 2005

A: Hello, Hiroyuki.  
H: Hello, Ma'am.  
A: Are you calling me "Ma'am"? I'm not a teacher!  
H: Whoopsies. Sorry, Akari. (pause) Now we'll talk about our escape plan.  
A: OK, OK.  
H: OK; the enemy may be larger in numbers, but we'll trounce them all.  
A: So will we still lead by more than one M., overall?  
H: What 1 million are we talking about? But anyway, more or less, we have the advantage. 'Cause I have a brilliant plan.  
A: It cannot be less than one M.?  
H: I said screw the 1 M.! But we'll try. But as of the other day, 982.  
A: What's that 982?  
H: The HP of the wall barricading our cell. I simply guessed it.  
A: So all we have to do is to destroy the wall and we'll all escape to our freedom?  
H: Yup, but we need to be extra careful. It's our first and last chance to do this. Tell this message to all our friends.  
A: Ah... OK, OK.  
H: See ya.  
A: OK. OK.

(end of conversation)

Shiho, who has brainstormed the "Hello Garci"-styled conversation, says convincingly to the rest of the group, "With this 'Real Mother of All Tapes', we'll fool those Abu Sayyaf bastards into believing that this came from Samuel Ong. And Hiroyuki, don't show any signs of protest, OK?"

Hiroyuki answers, "Yeah, yeah. I just used my voice anyway for your lousy tape."

Shiho's vein suddenly pops. "You really haven't changed, Mr. Worst Guy Ever!"

A voice from afar breaks out. "What's that noise down there?"

"Oh no. We musn't blow our cover," Masashi says. "Everyone, all play dead. I'll handle this." Afterwards, he brings out a pair of glasses with a plastic-nose-and-moustache attachment. The rest play dead.

Some seconds later, an Abu Sayyaf member approaches the cell. Masashi says to him, "Sir, my friends died from starvation, and I'm the only survivor left. And because I age quickly, my eyesight became poor and I grew a moustache."

"Oh, really. Because of our recent bouts with the Philippine military, we ran out of rations, so we can't feed you all. We may even cancel your beheading and release you."

"Thank you, sir. And, by the way, would you please listen to this tape?"

"He he he. Sure. This might contain some military secrets. How generous of you."

While greedily holding the tape, the ASG member leaves the cell. And the whole gang ends the pretension.

"N-Nice work, Masashi-chan," Akari commends.

"It was nothing," Masashi reacts. "I learned a lot from the James Bond School of Espionage."

"Is there a school such as that?" Tomoko asks.

"Ah, don't ask such a trivial question," Ayaka butts in. "All we have to do is to move our butts out of this stinking cell!"

"Now you're thinking," Hiroyuki reacts. "Everyone, let's bust out that wall and be free!"

Afterwards, Hiroyuki and co. start to slice and dice the wall of their cell with all their might. Their attacks deal only 1 damage each because of the wall's high physical defense, but after 982 physical attacks, the wall crumbles.

"Whew! We are now free," Akari sighs a breath of relief as the group huddles out of the cell.

"Not so fast, infidels!"

"Who's that party-pooper?" Shiho exclaims.

A man in a _kaffiyeh_ shows up. He is none other than Khadaffy Janjalani, the current leader of the Abu Sayyaf. With him are several ASG members, all heavily armed.

"My plan of beheading you all has been scrapped due to circumstances beyond our reach. But a much more honorable method will guarantee your deaths! In the name of Allah the Merciful, I will sacrifice myself to summon my fallen fellow martyrs! Abu Sabaya and Ghalib Andang, let me offer you 'blood' darker than wine and hotter than burning lava!"

Immediately, he brings out a belt full of explosives, a tin of gasoline, and a lighter. He then lights up the explosives and pours out the gasoline. In a flash, a huge explosion occurs, instantly killing Janjalani and his cohorts.

After fifteen seconds, Kotone trembles. The rest rush towards her.

"Gosh darn it! What's happening to you, Kotone?" Lemmy exclaims.

"Malevolent... spirits... too... powerful..." Kotone blurts out.

Two distinct evil laughs can be heard in the air.

"No shark can eat me!"

"No amputated leg can stop me!"

"Abu Sabaya and Ghalib Andang, alias Commander Robot?" Hiroyuki shouts.

The two spirits say in unison, "Certainly. Even though our physical selves are gone, we are still on our jihad!"

Akari replies, "This is not the jihad that true Muslims are fighting for! You're just after the money to sow more terror!"

"Japanese infidels," Abu Sabaya responds. "Since your government fully supports our mortal enemies, America and Israel, I consider all Japanese people infidels!"

"And because of our similar ideals, we have teamed up with Melficio Victorialuna in exchange for our resurrection," Commander Robot says.

"What a very dirty conspiracy!" Aoi exclaims.

"Praise Allah!" the two spirits declaim. "Your heads will be a great offer to our master!"

_Battle 8, commence!  
Allies: Anyone from Hiroyuki, Akari, Shiho, Masashi, Serika, Ayaka, Aoi, Kotone, Lemmy, Rio, Tomoko, Serio  
Enemies: Abu Sabaya's Spirit (HP: 40,000) and Commander Robot's Spirit (HP: 49,999)  
The heroes dish out every attack that they can lash at the enemies. Naturally, the enemies fight back with AK-47's, RPG's, mortars, landmines, and every other types of firearms and explosives that they can get their hands on.  
After ten turns...  
Abu Sabaya's Spirit and Commander Robot's Spirit: No one can challenge the power of jihad! The death of all infidels is near! Praise Allah to the stars!  
And the two team up to perform their deadliest move, entitled "Jaish-e-Muhammad." That move inflicts 50 hits and approximately 10,000 damage to each opponent. As a result, Hiroyuki and co. are instantly KOed.  
Battle 8 ended._

"No... ugh..." Hiroyuki languishes in pain.

"We have carried our undertakings in defense of our religion and in response of the order of our God and Prophet. May God's peace and blessing be upon us and our brothers in arms," the two declare.

Afterwards, they both point their Kalashnikovs at the severely-injured party, ready for a string of mercy shots.

Meanwhile...

"No! Mr. Hiroyuki! Ms. Akari! They're in the brink of danger!" Multi screams as she feels the sinister air emanating on the waters surrounding Basilan as the boat that contains her, Hero, and Sandara approaches the island.

Hero shouts at the boat driver, "Hey! Can't this thing go any faster! Our friends' lives depend on us!"

"S-Sorry, sir; this is the maximum speed that this boat can offer," the driver shakingly says.

"We need a miracle! Oh, great spirits, please guide us in our greatest hour of need!" Sandara meditates.

After Sandara finishes her chant, a flash of light suddenly envelopes the boat.

In just a matter of seconds, the boat unexpectedly shows up on the shores of Basilan, roughly a few meters away from where Hiroyuki and co. and the Abu Sayyaf spirits stand.

Multi gasps, then explains to Hero and Sandara, "Look! There they are! And I'm sensing great danger here!"

"What!" Abu Sabaya is startled as he prepares to fire the trigger.

"More infidels to deal with!" Commander Robot reacts.

"The reviled group, Abu Sayyaf. One of the radical Islamic groups that use terror and fear to achieve an Islamic cause," Hero declaims.

"We have learned that you're in cahoots with Melficio Victorialuna because of the shared belief that all Japanese need to be exterminated," Sandara follows.

"Correct. Once we achieve this goal, he promised us that he will revive us in the flesh as well as installing us as Muslim sub-leaders of his transition revolutionary junta," Commander Robot explains.

"This. Is. Ugly!" the three shout in reaction.

"Once again, death to all infidels! Allahu akbar! (God is great!)" the two triumphantly raise their voices while pointing their Kalashnikovs at the trio.

_Battle 9, commence!  
Allies: Hero, Sandara, Multi  
Enemies: Abu Sabaya's Spirit and Commander Robot's Spirit (Their HP's will be carried over from the last fight.)  
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to cast Disabling Slash on Abu Sabaya. He deals 1695 damage to him. But Abu Sabaya is not paralyzed!  
Abu Sabaya gets a turn. He chooses to attack Hero. Hero takes 780 damage.  
Commander Robot uses his crutch to whack Multi. Multi takes 390 damage.  
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to attack Abu Sabaya. He deals 5558 damage to him. A critical hit!  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast No Dong on Abu Sabaya. She deals 2699 damage to him.  
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to cast Fatal Sweeper on all enemies. She deals 1081 damage each to them.  
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to cast Disabling Slash on Abu Sabaya. He deals 1525 damage to him. Abu Sabaya is now paralyzed.  
Abu Sabaya gets a turn. He chooses to attack Sandara. Sandara takes 700 damage.  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast Aja! on herself. Sandara's status points are up by 15.  
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to cast Levitation on herself. Multi is now capable of dodging earth-elemental attacks directed at her.  
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to cast Take Cover! on Multi. Any attack directed to Multi will be redirected to him only once.  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast Aja! on Hero. Hero's status points are up by 15.  
Commander Robot casts Pulverize (an earth-elemental spell) on Multi. Multi takes no damage. Damage redirection to Hero therefore does not apply.  
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to attack Abu Sabaya. She deals 2418 damage to him.  
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to cast Backdraft on Abu Sabaya. He deals 2004 damage to him, but suffers 264 recoil damage.  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to use Pito-Pito Herbal Tea on all allies. All allies' HP's are restored to full.  
Abu Sabaya gets a turn. He chooses to cast Revenge of the Sharks on Multi. But because of Hero's action, that attack is redirected to Hero. Hero takes 5 hits and 614 damage in total.  
Commander Robot gets a turn. He chooses to cast Dirty Bomb on all allies. Hero and Sandara are now afflicted with Poison and Blind, while Multi is now afflicted with Paralysis.  
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to cast First Aid on himself. He recovers 600 HP. All of his status effects are nullified.  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to use Alaxan Gel on Multi. Multi's paralysis effect is nullified.  
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to cast Buga-Buga Spears on Abu Sabaya. She deals 5434 damage to him.  
Abu Sabaya gets a turn. He chooses to attack Multi. Multi takes 148 damage.  
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to attack Abu Sabaya. She deals 2640 damage to him.  
Commander Robot gets a turn. He chooses to cast Bin Laden's Message on all enemies. The two enemies' attack power, physical defense, magic power, and magical defense are increased by 50.  
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to attack Abu Sabaya. She deals 1077 damage to him.  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast No Dong on Abu Sabaya. She deals 9770 damage to him, KOing him.  
Abu Sabaya: This is not the end of jihad! Allah will set His judgment on you! (explodes)  
Commander Robot: The power of jihad will never fail! Get ready to be sent into the depths of hell!  
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to attack Commander Robot. He deals 835 damage to him.  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to attack Commander Robot. She deals 240 and 410 damage to him.  
Commander Robot gets a turn. He chooses to attack Sandara. Sandara takes 280 damage.  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast No Dong on Commander Robot. She deals 1530 damage to him.  
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to attack Commander Robot. He deals 1070 damage to him.  
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to attack Commander Robot. She deals 1059 damage to him.  
Commander Robot gets a turn. He chooses to cast Distracting Fake Bomb on all allies. But nothing happened!  
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to attack Commander Robot. He deals 955 damage to him.  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast No Dong on Commander Robot. She deals 765 damage to him.  
Commander Robot gets a turn. He chooses to attack Multi. Multi takes 325 damage.  
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to attack Commander Robot. She deals 1059 damage to him.  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to attack Commander Robot. She deals 265 and 265 damage to him.  
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to attack Commander Robot. He deals 2103 damage to him. A critical hit!  
Commander Robot gets a turn. He chooses to attack Hero. Hero takes 265 damage.  
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to attack Commander Robot. He deals 2000 damage to him. A critical hit!  
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast No Dong on Commander Robot. She deals 2165 damage to him.  
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to attack Commander Robot. She deals 1095 damage to him, KOing him.  
Not quite.  
Commander Robot: If you think you infidels have your victory, you are wrong! WE will channel the power of worldwide jihad to ensure the complete annihilation of all enemies of Islam!  
Commander Robot gets a turn. He casts Paradise Fruit in order to revive Abu Sabaya. Abu Sabaya is now revived with full HP.  
Commander Robot gets another turn. He teams up with Abu Sabaya in order to cast Bearers of the Sword on all allies. Hero, Sandara, and Multi's HP's are now all at 1; therefore the party is now in critical condition.  
Hero: Why... this...?  
Sandara: Are... our efforts... in vain...?  
Multi: I'm... a... robot... I... fight for peace...  
Abu Sabaya and Commander Robot: The victory banquet of martyrs is near! Praise Allah!  
Silence reigns for 10 seconds, and then...  
Male voice: Hey, Abu Sayyaf fiends, do you think that a REAL Muslim will become a martyr with this brand of hatred-filled bloodshed? How foolish! You'd better cut some slack, will ya?  
Female voice: Hiroyuki Fujita, Akari Kamigishi, friends, we may be physically absent, but we'll be spiritually present. And as for Hero Angeles and Sandara Park, fellow stars, we've been watching your every move. You both really have what it takes to be saviors of our degenerating yet beloved country.  
Hiroyuki: Hey... it's that guy... with a mace... that I saw... at the airport...  
Akari: Thank God... I sense... that you'll... give us hope...  
Commander Robot: More interferers equal more infidels!  
Abu Sabaya: Destroy them all! Destroy! Destroy!  
Male voice: Better eat this, uglies! (Unleashes a "spiritual cage" that robs Abu Sabaya and Commander Robot of all movement and action.)  
Male voice: (Faces Hiroyuki and co.) And before we forget, we'll introduce ourselves. The name's John Pratts.  
Female voice: And I'm Heart Evangelista.  
John: We have both been bestowed with powers as the King and Queen of Hearts. Just don't ask us how we were named as such or where we got our powers from.  
Heart: Just joking. Now we're getting serious.  
John and Heart then release a white circle that affects Hiroyuki and co., as well as Hero, Sandara, and Multi. (From this point on, they will all be called as "the unified force".)  
The result: full HP and MP restoration to the unified force.  
But wait; there's more.  
Each member of the unified force learns a new ability called a "Special Move". Special Moves are like Limit Breaks; they unleash tremendous damage when used. For Hiroyuki, Akari, Hero, and Sandara, they receive the ability to transform into more powerful versions of themselves. For the rest of the unified force, they receive powerful multi-hit attacks suited to their personalities.  
Hiroyuki and Hero: Now it's game over for fake jihad!  
Akari and Sandara: Once we take you persona non grata out...  
Multi and the rest of the unified force: ...THE HEALING PROCESS OF THIS UGLY AND BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY WILL BEGIN!  
Unleashing all of their Special Moves at the same time, the members of the unified force give Abu Sabaya and Commander Robot more than just a lethal beating.  
Abu Sabaya and Commander Robot: Allahu ak--- Gwaaahhhhh!  
With that, not even a physical or spiritual trace of the two can be seen again.  
Battle 9 won!_

"Well done, everyone!" Heart appreciates the unified force.

"You've really got the stuff of heroes, all right. All partially thanks to us," John echoes.

"John, Heart, we thought that you've totally kicked the bucket at the airport," Hiroyuki cuts in.

"No, not really. Some unknown apparition forced us to keep alive despite the cessation of life," Heart explains.

"What's important is that we're all glad that Multi came back in one piece as that guy promised," Akari interrupts.

"Not just one piece. A piece full of revolutionary weapons guaranteed to silence war-mongers," Multi follows.

"And speaking of war-mongers," Hero explains, "there's this guy who wants war in order to justify his crooked rule over a country that's already loaded with problems."

Sandara punctuates, "His name is Melficio Victorialuna. He is the head of the Commission on Higher Education. I'm sensing right now that he is in his office located on a building somewhere along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, the place wherein a great bloody civil war between the administration and the opposition took place."

"WHAAAAATTT! Many people lost their lives all because of us! Man, I'm starting to hate him more than ever!" Shiho exclaims.

"But we're in Basilan," Masashi worries, "A straightforward one-way ticket to Manila is impossible."

John assures, "Don't sweat it. We'll transport you directly to EDSA with no hidden taxes."

Heart finally says, "Everyone, are you ready to make a difference?"

The unified force jubilantly says a big freaking YES.

And in just a blink of an eye, they are all transported to the place of the final battle to come. The greatest battle to come. The Philippines' greatest battle.


	8. Episode 7, Part 1

Episode 7: In the Name of Equality!

* * *

Your honor.

His honor.

Her honor.

Their honor.

Where has our honor gone?

We are in a moral crisis.

And this calls for a moral revolution.

* * *

Hero...

Hero...

You have grossly forgotten a fact of life: that what goes up must go down.

The wheel of life rolls on. You, who had been appreciated in the past, went downhill; the claps died down and the screams have been silenced.

The blessings that were once bountiful have stopped coming; you no longer have any projects; and nobody hires you anymore because it is a natural thing in showbiz to hire anyone who is hot property in the present.

You are ashamed of your beginnings. You have waited for a long time to be recognized; but when you became a star, you have wasted the chance.

You have prevailed with your boastfulness; you were furious at the people who gave you the chance to enter the world of showbiz; instead of giving thanks, you prioritized deceit.

You don't deserve the name 'Hero'...

* * *

"Who are you!" shouts Hero while inside a dark, empty space.

"I am one of the people who have sharply criticized your behavior," a shadow says. "I am... Cristy Fermin."

"You again! You damaged my freakin' reputation! I still have a grudge against you!"

"I did not damage your reputation. I simply exposed your misbehaviors that an artist must not possess."

"Then why are you still haunting me! I should've cut you to bits to shut your foul mouth!"

"You must change for the better... because the fate of the entire Philippines depends on you. Or else, you will lose your very essence of humanity. You will be a savage animal."

After ten seconds of silence, no trace of Fermin's shadow remains. But another shadow shows up in its place.

"Hero! You deceitful dog! Your parents should've named you 'Loser'!"

"Hey! I know you! You're Joseph Bitangcol, right?"

"Right on the mark."

"Just like Cristy Fermin, I also hate you because you have stolen Sandara from me! Sandara's mine! All mine!"

"Quit your whining, Hero. I didn't steal Sandara from you. Your own gross ignorance paved the way for your separation from her."

"Grrrr...! I once recognized you as a friend, but now we're enemies."

"Of course. We're enemies now because your true colors have been exposed."

"Enough of your crap! Let's just settle it with a fight! It's on, freako!"

"Very well. Bring it!"

Star Circle Quest Fab 5 member versus Star Circle Quest Fab 5 member. Sword user versus sword user. The ethereal duel begins.

Duel Mechanics

If you're familiar with the Suikoden series, then you must know some facts about duels. But if not, here's the gist: two opposing forces have three choices: Attack, Defend, and Deathblow. Each choice is effective against some other choice (Attack is effective vs. Defend; Defend is effective vs. Deathblow; Deathblow is effective vs. Attack). The duel is over once a combatant's HP runs out.

_Duel: Hero Angeles versus Joseph Bitangcol_

Attack:

Yield to my sword...  
Very well. I shall attack at will.  
This blade will hurt, of course.  
And now for my next maneuver...  
I'll attack. What will you do, chump-ion?

Defend:

...  
Hmph...  
Come on! Let's see what you've got.  
See if you can scratch me!  
Prove that you're named Hero!

Deathblow:

Sorry... but I will take your life with this painful move.  
I'll settle this with the upcoming move.  
You deserve not to be a part of "Star Circle Quest"! Not even a champion!  
I'm ashamed that I got along with you on "Star Circle Quest".  
For Sandara's sake, I shall vanquish you!

(End of duel)

"Agghhh... You have won the battle, but if you won't change for the better, you will lose the war! Remember that!" Joseph says before he disappears into the void.

"Win the battle..." Hero ponders, "...but lose the war?"

"This is what you deserve if you pretend to love me!" a shadow of Sandara speaks spontaneously in front of him.

"Change for the better, or the people will change their attitude towards you," shadows of Hiroyuki and Akari speak impromptu behind him.

"Continue your cockiness and getting your head above the clouds," shadows of John and Heart speak unexpectedly beside him, "and you'll automatically receive a one-way ticket to purgatory."

"What! Not you, too! Why are you all condemning me like that! Arrgghh!" Hero shouts in despair.

Some moments later, he finds himself plunged into a literal downward spiral.

* * *

If you don't change your rotten attitude, Hero...

You won't deserve the name 'Hero'...

And the Philippines will still be in the chaos of the crisis...

* * *

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Hero wakes up shouting. The rest of the unified force are startled by this.

"Hero! What in spirits has happened to you?" Sandara asks Hero.

"I... It's a long story. Before I can continue," Hero answers groggingly from his nightmare, "gather everyone, because I have an important message to say."

The unified force gathers as instructed, and then begins to listen to Hero's monologue.

"I have come to realize that I made a terrible sin against all of you and perhaps the entire Filipino nation.

Deceit.

Boastfulness.

Selfishness.

Greed.

I have possessed those traits, but to play it safe, I hid them away so that my true colors won't be exposed. You never probably realized that, did you?

But now, a terrible nightmare told me to wake up to the truth. It said that if I don't change for the better, I can't lead all of you, much more the entire people, into a genuine fight for national unity.

To start off my forgiveness, Sandara...

I realized how much I became possessive of you. When you said one time, before this civil war, that you had a crush on Joseph, I immediately went furious. I even threatened to challenge Joseph to a fight. You consoled me afterwards, alright, but you didn't know that I still kept the hatred in my heart, ready to conflagrate when the time is right.

I. Am. Sorry.

To Hiroyuki, Akari, Multi, and all of your friends...

This is perhaps the first time you visited the Philippines, right? As a Filipino, I tried to show you what the typical traits are. Only positive ones, to save face. But when you experienced discrimination, I thought that you might be all mad at me, because I and Mr. Victorialuna are both Filipinos. So I tried to cover up by defending only the weaknesses and imperfections. Especially to Multi. In our local tongue, _"Hindi naman tayo kulelat."_ We're not behind anyway.

I. Am. Sorry.

And finally, to John and Heart...

I knew how you sacrificed your lives to defend those Japanese teens from discrimination. But then, I took advantage of that fact, and soon, my noble purpose was replaced by the desire to just kill, kill, and kill.

I. Am. Sorry.

I know that talk is cheap, but I channeled my forgiveness and lamentations from my heart to yours. Via this forgiving mouth of mine.

So once again, I am sorry. To heart."

After several seconds of silence, the rest of the unified force accept Hero's apology in different ways.

"Well, we're in EDSA, right?" Hiroyuki then asks.

John replies, "Okie-dokie. Specifically, we're near SM North Edsa. Since it's a mall, we all have a chance to stock up on supplies before the final battle, right?"

"Yes. As my mom always says, 'Better ask the way than go astray'," Akari echoes.

"After all," cuts Masashi, "our combined money must be used for the greater good."

As recommended, the unified force enters SM North Edsa. There they buy the supplies needed for them to survive, despite the fact that the mall itself is near the hotspot of the civil war.

Meanwhile, back at the CHED office...

"I can feel it! Those despicable worms and their equally despicable goal of ousting me and trying to unite the people in the process! Ugh! My three servants, the Abu Sayyaf, everything else that I masterminded... Now they all fell apart! Grrrr!

But I will still have the last laugh! National unity will never happen, and those maggots will be gone in an instant once I have this!"

This statement is spoken by none other than Melficio Victorialuna. Now, he raises his hand, and chants yet another chant.

"Personae who paved the way to the much-needed division of the Filipino people due to politics, I will borrow your souls in order to solidify my rule over this nation!

Retired Gen. Fortunato Abat!

Former COMELEC Commissioner Virgilio Garcilliano!

The Magdalo Group and other rebel soldiers!

Leave your pathetic mortal bodies and join me in achieving eternal power!"

In a split-second, the aforementioned people, who are busy in their own little affairs, just simply dropped dead while their spirits fly hastily toward the CHED office and are absorbed by Mr. Victorialuna.

"Yes. Yes. YES! This is POWER! The power to rule the Philippines by building it and destroying it whatever and whenever I wish! This is the truth! This is the true armed struggle towards solidarity and democracy! I am a god! Hahahahahaha!"

And that act doen't end there.

"Now for a little trial of my new power. I will coerce surviving administration and opposition supporters into serving me with this! Nefarious Water Cannon, come forth!"

In an instant, powerful jets of water bombard every surviving administration and opposition supporter. In fact, they're more powerful than the water cannon used to soak Teofisto Guingona and co. at Mendiola.

The effect? The supporters now say nothing but "Victorialuna is truth. Victorialuna is God." while they walk like zombies in thin air toward the CHED office. Nothing can't stop them, not even bodies of water.

"And finally, to make sure that those Japanese worms and their allies never harm me, I will up the ante on both offense and defense! Wicked Calibrated Preemptive Response, come forth!"

Soon, monsters fill the Development Academy of the Philippines Building, which is where the CHED office resides. Even worse, Mr. Victorialuna's three servants show up in spirit form. They are, obviously, more powerful than before.

"_Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!_ The shining path is near! This is the revolution of the masses! This is the truth! _Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!_"

Mr. Victorialuna's evil laugh resonates in the stale air around EDSA.

And that evil laugh is heard even kilometers away, especially by the unified force, who are already done with the shopping.

"Ultimate... evil... kilometers... away..." Kotone mutters.

"I deduce that we must act immediately because Mr. Victorialuna has made his office a proverbial evil castle," Tomoko explains.

"Well, what're we waiting for? Let's open up a hearty can of whoop-butt, now!" Lemmy cuts in.

The rest of the unified force agree and together they got out of SM North Edsa, and into the highway which is now called The Ruins of Hatred at EDSA.

(to be continued)


	9. Episode 7, Part 2

Episode 7: In the Name of Equality! (Part 2)

The journey through the Ruins of Hatred at EDSA begins at the MRT North Ave. station. However, when the unified force tries to access the MRT...

"What the heck? Even the MRT's not working?" Hero wonders.

"I feel that this is just the appetizer to what we'll be seeing along the way," Akari cuts in.

"Even a train is of no use," Shiho declares. "Why can't we all just give up and go home?"

"Shiho, please. If the rest of us will do the job, why won't you? You're one of my trusted friends," Hiroyuki retorts. "After realizing what we'll be doing, I promised to myself that I'll be less of a slacker and work even harder for our futures. Shiho, have you grown soft?"

Shiho sighs and then bows to Hiroyuki in apology. "Sorry, Hiro. I guess my making fun of you has lost its shine."

"All right then," Sandara speaks. "Now that we all have our eyes set on the goal, we must move forward. I sense that with every minute, the evil that will eventually plague this country grows stronger."

"I... agree... with your viewpoint... Sandara..." Kotone supports.

"So why are our butts still stationary?" John asks the unified force.

"Proceed with caution, everyone," Heart declaims. "The horrors will be right in front of your faces."

As the force leaves the station and trudges deeper into the heart of EDSA, everyone's worst fears are materialized.

Buildings trashed, various damaged things and debris scattered all around, the stench of corpses of people wasted away by the malice dominated the air.

This is what the Ruins of Hatred is all about. All caused by the spell of hatred that took thousands of lives.

Of course, the scenery brings heavy shocks to the force.

"No... this... can't be..." Kotone and Sandara simultaneously mutter. After they muttered, they faint.

"Ridiculous. This is ridiculous," Masashi says as he nurses Kotone and Sandara back to consciousness.

"I personally think that 'ridiculous' is an understatement," Aoi adds.

"More like 'gruesome', 'brutal', 'gory'," Ayaka adds further.

"Even Mr. Webster doesn't have a word which will describe all this," Rio adds even further.

"This is definitely not for the faint-hearted," Hero finalizes. "If we let our fears paralyze ourselves, then they'll eventually eat away at our own humanity. Let's move on, shall we?"

After Kotone and Sandara regain consciousness, they walk further through the ruins.

Once they approach the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) building, they see thousands of people, floating in mid-air and in flocks, walking towards it.

"Mr. Victorialuna wants to gather a large-enough army for his purpose. It's the reason behind this," Heart explains.

"And it's very obvious that his numero uno method is brainwashing," John adds. "To save all of those innocent people, you know who to eliminate."

And so, the unified force barges through the entrance of the DAP building, determined to eliminate the root of all national evil.

(The Cursed Commission on Higher Education, Area 1)

After the unified force formally enters the final dungeon, they walk briskly and climb steadily while slaying monsters in their way.

Eventually, they find a corner of Area 1 that is surprisingly empty. Not even a single monster is in sight.

But behind a pillar in that corner, a woman clad in a kenpo suit (the clothing that karatekas wear) eventually appears.

"How was it, Miss Aoi Matsubara?"

"This is not the proper greeting, Miss Yoshie Sakashita!"

Aoi signals the rest of the force to stay behind, then steps towards Yoshie.

"Save the formalities for later. You must know by now why I came to the Philippines and eventually to this nest of monsters."

"What?"

"When I learned of your abduction by Victorialuna, I sincerely knew that you'll eventually break out of it. So with that premise, I entered this building ahead of time and obliterated some monsters in the process, waiting for you to come."

"...Obviously, you became stronger. But I also did!"

"Well said. Now, extreme fighter. See if you have REALLY become stronger!"

"I'm on it!"

Aoi and Yoshie prepare their battle poses, and at this point, their duel begins.

(Duel: Aoi Matsubara vs. Yoshie Sakashita)

Attack:  
My fists will do the talking!  
My kicks will do the talking!  
Feel the power of karate!  
It's a monk-versus-monk fight.  
Dodge this, plebeian!

Defend:  
Charge all you want.  
Attack me with your silly moves.  
Let's see if your fighting style works.  
I'll endure the damage that you'll inflict on me!  
You're not kung-fu fighting. You're not as fast as lightning.

Deathblow:  
Here it goes! Extremity Fist!  
Here it goes! Asura Strike!  
Your career ends here, Miss Matsubara.  
The era of extreme fighting will be over.  
I'll beat you like I did the last time we met in school!

(End of duel)

Yoshie is down on her knees, breathing heavily. "You... have finally proven your strength."

Aoi responds, "This is not just all about strength. It is also about preserverance and purity of spirit. The three true essences of a fighter. Combining excellence in body, mind, and soul... leads one to true victory."

"Well said. For now, I'll leave you. And I'm telling you now -- please save the Philippines for everyone's sake. The next time we meet... we'll both be best friends and best enemies. Farewell."

After Yoshie says this, she finally leaves the building.

"That's... really something, Aoi," Hiroyuki declares.

"Ah, that's nothing," Aoi responds with a little blush.

"All right then. Shall we move on, everyone?" Akari says.

The force responds by naturally moving onwards.

(The Cursed Commission on Higher Education, Area 2)

They walk. They climb. They slay.

And then, they see yet another empty area.

Suddenly, Serio simply drops dead on the floor. That has alarmed Multi very much.

"Serio! Wake up! Answer me!"

"I am the real HMX-13," a voice very similar to Serio's has appeared out of nowhere.

After some seconds, a maid robot that looks so much like Serio greeted the sights of the entire force.

"What the? Two Serios?" Hiroyuki is puzzled.

"Will the real Serio please stand up?" Shiho reacts.

"Mission is to eliminate intruders as Renato Constantino is to true nationalism," the Serio clone declares.

Serika falls silent in horror, while Ayaka reacts, "Hey! Nobody makes better maid robots than Kurusugawa Electronics! You're just a poor copy!"

"Unkind robot critics are to roasted Peking duck as Iranian nuclear weapon opponents is to sarcophagus city," the clone replies while displaying its huge cache of weapons hidden beneath its body.

Hero angrily shouts, "Hey! What's with your crappy analogies?"

"Intruder elimination is to People's Court for Truth and Accountability as Gloria Resign is to Leandro Arangoncillo."

"I will handle this weapon of mass destruction," Multi says while she confronts the clone. "This will be Kurusugawa Electronics' finest hour!"

Serika whispers, "Good luck, Multi."

Ayaka echoes, "Better apply what you've learned so far, Multi. The data you've accumulated will be put to the test."

"Pure Warrior Multi HMX-12, commencing attack sequence! Uryaaaaa!"

And the robot duel begins.

(Duel: Multi vs. Serio (clone))

Attack:  
Initiating attack sequence.  
Target: Model HMX-12.  
Preparing to fire.  
A superior maid robot can attack.  
Command: Attack.

Defend:  
Initiating defense sequence.  
Shield installed at 150 percent.  
Command: Defend.  
Hit me with your flimsy mop!  
Hit me with your flimsy arm cannon!

Deathblow:  
Initiating deathblow sequence.  
Command: Deathblow.  
Farewell, defective robot.  
Releasing Blazing Sword.  
Kurusugawa Electronics would be better off without you.

(End of duel)

"Real... Serio... is to... destruction... as... Dr. Wily's plans... is to... failure..." the clone faintingly says before it is destroyed in a glorious blaze.

And as expected, the real Serio wakes up as if from a dream. Multi, as well as the unified force, is delighted.

"Serio! You're awake!" Multi gaily says.

"I... thought... there was... a short circuit inside the system..." Serio haltingly speaks.

"Serio, there was a clone of you that Multi just fought. Probably that Victorialuna guy has illegally swiped maid robot data from Kurusugawa Electronics to build that," Ayaka explains.

"Explanation acknowledged. Important data rendered as critical in database," Serio responds.

"I'm glad the robot mess has been settled. Let's move on, shall we?" Sandara declares to the unified force.

And then, they proceed to the third area.

(The Cursed Commission on Higher Education, Area 3)

The unified force proceeds with their usual modus operandi. Until...

"Welcome to your doom, born loser!"

"GREETINGS, WAYWARD KOREAN!"

"How are you, number one persistent Maverick?"

The three consecutive voices belong to none other than Big Bunny, Meningococcemia Man, and King Bukbok, respectively.

"Damn those servants! They're revived!" Hero shouts with angst.

"Why... why did you come back to life?" Sandara speaks in a disappointed way.

"I thought I killed those threats to each Philippine region. How come!" Multi says while she's down on her knees. Her face is full of unspeakable horror.

"And now, you delicious people have more munchy terrorists along for the ride!" Big Bunny says with cannibalistic desire. "This will be more than just a banquet!"

"Indeed! Our master will be happier if we all perform an anal death on all of you! You are the real threats to genuine Philippine independence!" King Bukbok boastfully declares while directing the tip of his spear to the force.

"WITH THE GIFT OF THE WICKED CALIBRATED PREEMPTIVE RESPONSE THAT MR. VICTORIALUNA GAVE US, WE ARE BEYOND INVINCIBLE! PREPARE TO MEET YOUR ETERNAL END!" Meningococcemia Man declaims while preparing his weapons for the upcoming combat.

"Hiroyuki, Akari, the rest of us... We have defeated them before," Hero, Sandara, and Multi profess to the rest of the force. "Now, with your help, we'll send them all to the hell that they deserve!"

"We all must believe in victory..." Hiroyuki and Akari respond, "...for the good of the entire nation."

"Well said, future husband and wife!" John and Heart react.

_Battle 10, commence!  
__Allies: Anyone from Hiroyuki, Akari, Shiho, Masashi, Serika, Ayaka, Aoi, Kotone, Lemmy, Rio, Tomoko, Multi, Serio, Hero, Sandara  
__Enemies: Big Bunny (HP: 5,010), King Bukbok (HP: 29,120), and Meningococcemia Man (HP: 58,032)  
__The enemies' individual attacks are carried over from their first appearances, but now they can use an attack called "Huwad na Kalayaan" (Fake Freedom) if all of them are alive. This attack is non-elemental and hits all opponents.  
__Another special feature of this battle is the "Switch" option. This option lets an ally swap with another one without wasting a turn, much like Final Fantasy X. The judicious use of this option is the key to winning this battle, especially if the active allies are hit with Huwad na Kalayaan.  
__The allies give their all; slashing, casting, blasting, and transforming; until the three servants are no more.  
__Battle 10 won!_

"Now that the unholy trinity is no more..." John congratulates the unified force, semi-tired from the previous battle.

"...there is only the matter of you-know-what," Heart adds.

"Yup. I may be called a slacker," Hiroyuki proclaims, "but I'll get serious when the time comes. The same goes for the rest. Right, everyone?"

Akari answers, "We must finish this war we're waging in order for the Filipinos to move forward to a brighter future."

The rest raise their weapons and shout in unison as a sign of unflinching acceptance.

(The Cursed Commission on Higher Education, Final Area)

This is where Melficio Victorialuna, the psycho Japanophobic head of the Commission on Higher Education, actually resides.

And this is where the unified force is heading to for the penultimate battle to come.

Finally, they come, and Mr. Victorialuna gives a rather lengthy speech.

"Can you smell it? The blood that was shed by those who refuse to obey my fledging Philippine empire. The blood that was shed by them, under the misguided banners of national unity and international solidarity, who marched to condemn my actions against your savage acts! The blood that will become the bases for a New Society.

"The old shall fade away, and the new shall take its place. This is my principle. The New Society shall be 100 Filipino, without any foreign intervention, in order to contain any threats of foreign occupation. Eliminating Japanese interests is just a prologue to that goal.

"Unfortunately, your reactions to my well-crafted plans have gotten me on my nerves. And in the end, I almost lost. But still, I have an ace in the hole.

"And that is...

"The Trapo Rune!"

The Trapo Rune is a rune that Mr. Victorialuna bears on his left hand. It embodies the souls of traditional politicians, businessmen, media people, leftists and left-leaning rightists, and all other bleeding hearts who only fought for their own interests in the guise of national freedom and solidarity.

And this rune is being raised into the sky. Seconds later, it glows in a dark purple color.

"Souls of the Filipino martyrs!  
Souls of Bayan ng Katagalugan!  
Return beyond the gates of time!"

Mr. Victorialuna chants that message, and the following happens in the next 120 seconds.

The sky now tinges dark purple, much like the Trapo Rune. It is then parted, and a weird assortment of runes (which are in the ancient Alibata lettering) rains down from the rift. The runes then occupy the whole of the DAP building, encasing it magically. Afterwards, the building starts to gradually move from the ground, and it then floats in mid-air, like a monolithic structure from the RPG's you know and love.

After that display, Mr. Victorialuna, still raising his left hand, blurts out the following:

"Do you swear that you will stop my beautiful plans for this country called the Philippines?"

The unified force replies, "WE SWEAR IT!"

"Hmph! Idealistic terrorist nobodies. If you all swear it, then prove it to me!"

He then raises his right hand, and in a flash, a giant hammer appears in his left hand; while a giant sickle appears in his right.

The final battle is about to begin.

(To be continued)


	10. Episode 7, Part 3

Episode 7: In the Name of Equality! (continued)

_Battle 11, commence!_

_Allies: Anyone from Hiroyuki, Akari, Shiho, Masashi, Serika, Ayaka, Aoi, Kotone, Lemmy, Rio, Tomoko, Multi, Serio, Hero, Sandara_

_Enemy: Melficio Victorialuna (HP: 49,008), Hammer Arm (HP: 6,600), Sickle Arm (HP: 5,200)_

_Melficio Victorialuna's moves:_

_1. Banat ni Abat -- Physical damage vs. all opponents; only usable if the Sickle Arm is alive  
__2. Espada ni Faeldon -- Heavy physical damage vs. one opponent; only usable if the Hammer Arm is alive  
__3. Hello Garci, Goodbye Gloria! -- Non-elemental damage vs. all opponents  
__4. Kamandag ni Lizardo -- Give all bad status effects to one opponent  
__5. Tadyak ng Pagkakawatak-watak -- Physical damage vs. one opponent  
__6. Mabuhay ang Armadong Rebolusyon! -- Heavy darkness damage vs. all opponents _

_Starting line-up: Hiroyuki, Akari, Serika, Hero, Sandara, Shiho_

_Hiroyuki gets a turn. He chooses to attack Melficio Victorialuna. He deals 3103 damage to him. A critical hit!  
__Akari gets a turn. She chooses to cast Chemical Impact on all enemies. She deals 1507 damage each to them.  
__Melficio Victorialuna gets a turn. He chooses to use the Hammer Arm in order to cast Espada ni Faeldon on Serika. Serika takes 1337 damage. Serika is in critical condition.  
__Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast No Dong on the Hammer Arm. She deals 5433 damage to it, KOing it.  
__Hero gets a turn. He chooses to cast Disabling Slash on Melficio Victorialuna. He deals 1695 damage to him. But Melficio Victorialuna is not paralyzed!  
__Melficio Victorialuna gets a turn. He chooses to use the Sickle Arm in order to cast Banat ni Abat on all allies. All allies suffer an average of 246 damage. Serika is still in critical condition.  
__Akari gets a turn. She chooses to be replaced by Masashi using "Switch".  
__Masashi gets a turn. He chooses to use his Special Ability, Mirager, on the Sickle Arm. He deals 20 hits and a total of 970 damage to it.  
__Shiho gets a turn. She chooses to use her Special Ability, Flying Head Scissors, on the Sickle Arm. She deals 757 damage to it.  
__Melficio Victorialuna gets a turn. He chooses to cast Hello Garci, Goodbye Gloria! on all allies. All allies suffer an average of 318 damage. Serika is still in critical condition.  
__Hiroyuki gets a turn. He chooses to be replaced by Ayaka using "Switch".  
__Ayaka gets a turn. She chooses to use her Special Ability, Stun Palm of Doom, on the Sickle Arm. She deals 1080 damage plus instant death to it, KOing it.  
__Melficio Victorialuna: You may have destroyed the symbols of the masses' struggle, but that has only strengthened me! Now, prepare for your descent to the abyss, terrorists!  
__Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to be replaced by Aoi using "Switch".  
__Aoi gets a turn. She chooses to use her Special Ability, Aoi Special, on Melficio Victorialuna. She deals 5675 damage to him.  
__Melficio Victorialuna gets a turn. He chooses to cast Tadyak ng Pagkakawatak-watak on Aoi. Aoi takes 295 damage.  
__Masashi gets a turn. He chooses to be replaced by Kotone using "Switch".  
__Kotone gets a turn. She chooses to use her Special Ability, "I Hate You!", on Melficio Victorialuna. She deals 1060 damage to him.  
__Hero gets a turn. He chooses to be replaced by Lemmy.  
__Lemmy gets a turn. She chooses to use Pito-Pito Herbal Tea on all allies. All allies' HP's are restored to full.  
__Shiho gets a turn. She chooses to be replaced by Rio using "Switch".  
__Rio gets a turn. She chooses to use her Special Ability, Papergirl, on Melficio Victorialuna. She deals 950 damage to him.  
__Melficio Victorialuna gets a turn. He chooses to cast Kamandag ni Lizardo on Kotone. Kotone is now afflicted with all sorts of status ailments except instant death.  
__Kotone gets a turn. She chooses to be replaced by Tomoko using "Switch".  
__Tomoko gets a turn. She chooses to use her Special Ability, Respect the Iincho, on Melficio Victorialuna. She deals 1740 damage to him.  
__Melficio Victorialuna gets a turn. He chooses to cast Mabuhay ang Armadong Rebolusyon! on all allies. All allies suffer an average of 705 damage.  
__Aoi gets a turn. She chooses to be replaced by Multi using "Switch".  
__Multi gets a turn. She chooses to use her Special Ability, Wanzer Attack! (because Multi's current weapon is an arm cannon), on Melficio Victorialuna. She deals 5228 damage to him.  
__Rio gets a turn. She chooses to be replaced by Serio using "Switch".  
__Serio gets a turn. She chooses to use her Special Ability, Voltron Blazing Sword, on Melficio Victorialuna. She deals 2301 damage to him.  
__Melficio Victorialuna gets a turn. He chooses to cast Mabuhay ang Armadong Rebolusyon! on all allies. All allies suffer an average of 527 damage.  
__Lemmy gets a turn. She chooses to use her Special Ability, Great Balls of Fire, on Melficio Victorialuna. She deals 2331 damage to him.  
__Multi gets a turn. She chooses to cooperate with Serio for a Team-Up Attack called "Pride of Kurusugawa Electronics". They both deal 21008 damage to him.  
__Serika gets a turn. She chooses to use her Special Ability, Forbidden Chant, on Melficio Victorialuna. She deals 2545 damage to him, KOing him.  
__Melficio Victorialuna: Rrgh... This is not yet the end! The rune will still grant me power to rule the Philippines! Just you wait and see!  
__  
Battle 11 ended._

Mr. Victorialuna abruptly rises from his defeat, then raises both his arms towards the direction of the still-purple sky. He then chants the following.

"_Kapangyarihan ng kadiliman, bigyan mo ako ng pagkakataon para supilin ang mga nagangahas na ipagkait ang kalayaan ng bansa!_ (Power of darkness, please give me the chance to exterminate those who dare steal the country's independence!) Dalihm hamil agela, malicia! Dalihm hamil agela, malicia! Ultimate Chicken Invader, integrate!"

A brief flash occurs, and from it Mr. Victorialuna transforms into a giant chicken with a demonic head and wielding an equally demonic spear.

"What the heck! How do we all fight this... thing?" Hiroyuki exclaims.

"How is it, terrorists? Surely with this form you all will not have a chance to live, because your foolish and pathetic bodies and souls will be brought to never-ending seas of hellfire by my new power!" Mr. Victorialuna declares.

He then easily blows away the unified force with just a swing of his spear. But, in the blink of an eye, John and Heart quickly save them from certain death with their combined powers of protection and healing.

Afterwards, Mr. Victorialuna does the unthinkable. What is it, you ask?

"In order to formally install the sovereign rule by the Filipinos and for the Filipinos, I hereby invoke the power to accelerate the date to one score after the fabled revolution. That is, February 24, 2006. Down with the Arrovo, ahem, Arroyo administration! Down with the Not-so-United Opposition! Down with the so-called Third Force! Only I can rule this country and lead to its everlasting progress under the banner of self-reliance!"

He then raises his spear, and chants yet another chant.

"_Ngayon, bigyan mo ako ng kapagyarihang mamuno sa lupang pangako sa ilalim ng isang mapanghimagsik at mapagpalayang pamamalakad!_ (Now, give me the power to rule the promised land under a revolutionary and freedom-giving authority!) Gaukauwom kistelizael gumaraeth! Gaukauwom kistelizael gumaraeth! Transition Revolutionary Junta, install!"

In a matter of minutes, the space-time continuum is warped to accelerate to the said date; and afterwards, the still-brainwashed people all rise from their positions. They then face Mr. Victorialuna and chant heartlessly and constantly: "_Mabuhay ang Pilipinas. Mabuhay si Victorialuna._"

Will this be the end of the struggle against Mr. Victorialuna and the start of the Philippines becoming a failed state?

Meanwhile...

In a dark, empty space, the unified force, recovered but still unconscious, hears the voices of the King and Queen of Hearts.

_"Not yet, Rizal. Sleep not in peace;  
__There are a thousand waters to be spanned;  
__There are a thousand mountains to be crossed;  
__There are a thousand crossed to be borne.  
__Our shoulders are not strong; our sinews are  
__Grown flaccid with dependence, smug with ease  
__Under another's wing.  
__Rest not in peace;  
__Not yet Rizal, not yet. The land had need  
__Of young blood and what younger than your own.  
__Forever spilled in the great name of freedom,  
__Forever oblate on the altar of the free?  
__Not yet alone, Rizal. O souls.  
__And spirits of the martyred brave, arise!  
__Arise and sour the land! Shed once again  
__Your willing lood! Infuse the vibrant red  
__Into our thin anemic veins; until  
__We pick up your Promethean tools and, strong,  
__Out of the depthless matrix of your faith  
__In us, and on the silent cliffs of freedom,  
__We carve for all time your marmoreal dream!  
__Until your people, seeing, are become  
__Like the molave, firm, resilient, staunch,  
__Rising on the hillside, unafraid,  
__Strong in his own fibre; yes, like the molave!"_

---"Like the Molave" by R. Zulueta de Costa

At the end of the poem, the members of the unified force gradually rise from their unconsciousness.

The male members say, "John?"

The female members say, "Heart?"

"Yes. That's us," John and Heart assure.

"We both know, as well as all of you, that no matter what that darn Mr. Victorialuna says, he can be defeated. Ya wanna know why?" John explains.

"We still haven't told you all about him. It's a long story, so here it goes," Heart begins her exposition. "Melficio Victorialuna may look and act like a human, but in reality, he's an unknown being with fearsome magical power. In fact, he is the product of five hundred years' worth of negative energy borne by Filipinos and their former conquerors who ruled throughout those years. All the hatred, all the betrayal, all the selfishness, all the bloodlust, everything bad that has happened throughout the course of Philippine history -- has given form and substance to that hideous being."

The members of the unified force fall on their knees, learning that dreadful fact.

"Wait! Why are you all getting your hopes down?" John persuades. "HE CAN BE DEFEATED, REMEMBER?"

The members of the unified force then immediately rise from their kneeling.

"The key to defeating him lies on the people. People, no matter how diverse their backgrounds are, can still be united if they fully realize the wrongs that can be set aright, reduce their individual levels of boastfulness and self-righteousness, and progress themselves despite numerous obstacles. Remember the key phrase: 'POWER TO THE PEOPLE!' It is better to have a thinking crowd than to have a speaking authority," Heart continues.

"Now it's all clear," Hero and Sandara say.

"Let's get this over with. The Filipino people need not only us, but their true selves that long for national unity and common good," Hiroyuki and Akari follow.

With their weapons raised in the air, all of the members of the unified force shout in unison: "_PARA SA 'YO ANG LABAN NA ITO! HINDI KAMI SUSUKO! ISISIGAW NATIN SA MUNDO! PARA SA 'YO, BAYAN KO!_ (This fight is for you! We won't surrender! We'll prove to the world! This is for you, my beloved land!)"

Undoubtedly, they all have a brand-new fighting spirit in them. John and Heart, satisfied by this, gleefully sends them back to the place of the final battle, Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, in a flash of pure light. And interestingly enough, they are each encased in protective bubbles while they float in mid-air, near that hideous figure who is about to start his junta.

Meanwhile, John and Heart conjure a massive spell that restores the hearts and minds of the people who flocked at EDSA from the malicious brainwashing. Afterwards, an invisible barrier is formed on top of those people.

"What the hell is this? You terrorist vermin are back? Not if my powers can snuff you all for good," Mr. Victorialuna arrogantly says before he swings his spear mightily.

Fortunately, the sharp wind generated by the spear neither fazes the unified force, thanks to the bubbles; nor the people, thanks to the barrier installed on them.

"GGGGGGRRRRRRR! Did not even make a scratch! Damn you all! Even the Filipino people who were once blessed and are now cursed! DAMN YOU ALL!" Mr. Victorialuna curses.

The members of the unified force respond to the evil chicken's bellyaching by their rightfully brave words and poses.

"You, King of Philippine Political Chaos, Lord of Filipino Moral Erosion, should be doomed to damnation. Serio, Model Number HMX-13, Maid Robot!"

"I am discontented. And I know that there are many out there who are more discontented than I am for the same reason. And that reason is simple. I am sick and tired of you claiming to speak for me and many Filipinos. I feel like screaming every time you mouth words about fighting for my freedom and my rights, when you obviously are just thinking about yours. You tell me that the essence of democracy is providing every citizen the right to speak his or her mind and make his or her own informed judgments, but you yourself do not respect my silence and the choices I and many others have made. Multi, Model Number HMX-12, Maid Robot!"

"In other words, your concept of democracy is limited to having your rights and your freedoms respected, at the expense of ours. Tomoko Hoshina, Class Representative!"

"I am utterly flabbergasted that you still do not get it: we already responded to your deeds, and our response has been very clear - we chose to condemn your actions against us Japanese not because we do not love our adopted country or our freedoms or our rights, but precisely because we love our adopted country even more. Because quite frankly, we are prepared to lose our freedoms and our rights just to move this country forward. You may counter with your ideological propaganda and give me all the dire warnings about the evils of martial law, authoritarian rule, suppression of freedom, etc., but quite frankly all we see is your pathetic efforts to defend your right to continue fulminating, filibustering, and sabotaging this country until you wrestle power for yourself. You tell me that you are simply protecting my freedoms and my rights, but who told you to do that? I assure you that when I feel that my rights and my freedoms are at a peril, I will stand up and fight for them myself. I have seen the Filipinos done that in the past, and I will do it personally when I SEE THE NEED FOR IT, not when you tell me to do it. Rio Hinayama, Newspaper Girl!"

"You tell us that Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is not the right person to lead this country because she has done immoral acts. You also tell us that the United Opoosition is not fit to rule the country because you fear to lose your power to them. As someone who sees immorality being committed wantonly in many ways every day and by everyone (yes, especially you), I may have become jaded. I may have lowered my standards about what a leader should be. Guess what, Mr. Victorialuna, you lowered it yourself. You not only lowered it, but also lowered the standards of every political entity into the lowest level possible. You deserve to be called the greatest of fools. Lemmy Miyauchi, Yankee Archer!"

"But the simple truth that you try to obfuscate is this: you have not been able to offer me any viable alternative than yourself! You're only thinking of yourself, not the entire Philippines. It's the highest form of arrogance that leads to the deadly sin of pride. Kotone Himekawa, Purple-Haired Psychic!"

"From where I stand, countless people braved the elements to move this country forward while you have been so busy with one and only one thing: to make sure they do not succeed. So forgive me if I do not want to join you in your moral mockery contest. Forgive me if I have chosen to see things from another perspective. You say both the administration and the opposition, as well as the political third force, are the problem. I say, we are -- all of us -- is the problem; more to the point, I think you are a bigger problem than all of them. Taking all of them out may solve part of the problem, but that leaves us with a bigger problem: you. That is right, YOU! Aoi Matsubara, Extreme Fighter!"

"While I felt outraged that you discriminated against us for such an absurd reason as a ban on everything Japanese, I have tried many times to do the Christian and moral thing: forgive. Just as we all forgive all components of the Philippine political spectrum, we tried and are still trying to forgive you. But now that your true colors are exposed, you do not deserve to be forgiven, because you are not human! As often said, 'To err is human; to forgive divine.' Ayaka Kurusugawa, Karateka of Fabul!"

"You always discredit every other politician than yourself, and that is one of the many ways of showing the hypocrisy of telling me that you do everything for the sake of protecting the moral fiber of society. The real reason is because you smell blood and you want to go for the kill. Serika Kurusugawa, Mage of the Occult!"

"Well, I have news for you. I do not like Filipino politicians as a whole, on the basis of Stone Cold Steve Austin's 'DTA: Don't Trust Anybody'. But as much as I do not like them, I do not like you even more. I may not trust them, but you know what, I do not trust you even more. Masashi Sato, Speed Rogue!"

"You know why I do not trust you? Because all you do is whine and sabotage this country. You belittle every little progress we make, conveniently forgetting that it is not just Arroyo, or any other politician for that matter, who has been working so hard to achieve them. Every single day, we keep the faith burning in our hearts that this country will finally pull itself out of the mess and we work so hard to do that. Every little progress is the result of our collective effort, we who toil hard everyday in our jobs. Yet, you persist in one and only thing: making all Filipinos look bad in the eyes of the world and making sure that this country continues to suffer to prove your sorry point. In the process, you continue to destroy what we painstakingly try to build. So please do not be surprised that I do not share your cause. Do not be surprised that we have become contemptuous of your antics. You have moved heaven and earth to destroy our credibility, you have convened all kinds of political hullabaloo and all you have done is test our patience to the core. For all your efforts, you have only succeeded in dragging us further down. I say enough. Shiho Nagaoka, Pop Star Red Mage!"

"Don't get me wrong. I am not asking that we take immorality lying down, or that we let the President, or any other erring official, get away with anything illegal. But you have tried to prove your accusations all this time and you have not succeeded, so it is time to let things be. Besides, you are doing something immoral as well if not utterly unforgivable. Based from what I've read in Philippine mass media, the Magdalo soldiers are consorting with the communists -- the same people who have been trying to kill democracy for years. Cory Aquino has been consorting with Erap Estrada and the Marcoses. And the Arroyo administration still maintains a defensive stance on things that can potentially destroy it. I feel sorry for the Pearl of the Orient Seas. Akari Kamigishi, Cooking Cleric!"

"So please wake up and go back to the abyss that you came from. In the absence of true and genuine moral leadership, many Filipinos, as well as us foreign visitors, have decided to cast our lot with the President, even if we do not like her. One flawed leader is better than a thousand scheming power-hungry fools who can not even stand up for their convictions in the face of an impending arrest. And you're the embodiment of those fools. Hiroyuki Fujita, Slacker Swordsman!"

"Your coup attempts, manipulations of major players in current Philippine affairs, and other terrorizing destabilizations made only underscore what we think is true: you are a spineless and unreliable monster who only wants power but not the consequences and the sacrifices that go with the quest. Your one and only defense is to cry suppression when your ruse does not work. You are nothing but a BULLY who taunts and provokes, but cries oppression when taken to task for your cruelty. You call for the rule of law and respect for authority, but so brazenly display your defiance and disrespect for the same things you claim to be fighting for. Sandara Park, Korean Mystic!"

"I would have respected you if you took the consequences of your actions like real heroes: calmly and responsibly instead of kicking and screaming and making all kinds of lame excuses. You say you are willing to die for us, that you do all these things for the country and the Filipino, but you are not even willing to do so for us. Hero Angeles, Technological Swordsman!"

Even John and Heart give their words of just rage and pose with all their dignity.

"Come on, you really think we believe that you did not want to bring down the government and build your own when THAT IS THE ONE AND ONLY ONE THING THAT YOU HAVE BEEN DESPERATELY TRYING TO DO in the last many months? Heart Evangelista, Queen of Hearts!"

"We love this country and we want peace and progress. Many among us do not mind who sits at Malacanang because we will work hard and do our share to make things work. We, the people, will and can make it work, if only you get out of the way and let us do it. If you only do your jobs, the ones you are supposed to be doing, things would be a lot simpler and easier for all of us. John Pratts, King of Hearts!"

But the bravest, most dignified, and most patriotic, sentiment of all comes from none other than the entire citizenry of the Filipino nation, who hears the previous words of the unified force from all corners of the archipelago, and even the rest of the world. They now finally stand up and realize who the greatest threat to the Philippines is.

"The negative events in the timetable of our history only proved one thing. You are more dangerous and a serious threat to this country than all of us is, though we were the source of the negative energy that gave birth to you. We have seen and felt what you are capable of doing -- you are ready to burn this country and reduce everything to ashes just to prove your point. If there is something that we need protection from, IT IS PROTECTION FROM YOU!"

"Hahahahahahaha. So much for many, many minutes of empty promises against me," Mr. Victorialuna finally reacts to the lengthy yet collaborative statement. "I, Melficio Victorialuna, will take you all down!"

"Hiroyuki, Akari, Hero, Sandara!" Heart commands the aforementioned four. "We still have enough power to make your transformations last longer. Your friends will help us guard our beloved compatriots while you do battle against that evil chicken in your transformed selves."

"Here it goes, amigos!" John casts a spell on the four. "Nosi balasi nagwali eletherohikarianos! Light of Eternal Justice in Revelation, materialize!"

With John's spell, Hiroyuki transforms into the Protector Dragoon of Fire; Akari into the Protector Dragoon of Light; Hero into Mysterio; and Sandara into Sohee.

The four fly into the attack range of Mr. Victorialuna, while the rest of the unified force descends along with John and Heart to fortify the barrier that protects the people.

"_Sa ngalan ng pambansang pagkakaisa para sa kabutihan ng lahat at tunay na kapayapaan! Sa ngalan ng pagkakapantay-pantay!_ (In the name of national unity for the sake of the common good and genuine peace! In the name of equality!)" the four bravely declare to the greatest threat to the Philippines.

This is it, folks; the REAL final battle.

(to be continued)


	11. Episode 7, Part 4

_Final battle, commence!_

_Allies: Hiroyuki, Akari, Hero, Sandara (all in their transformations throughout this battle  
__Enemy: Melficio Victorialuna (HP: 50,991)_

_Melficio Victorialuna's moves:  
__1. Alab ng Paghihimagsik -- Fire attack vs. all opponents  
__2. Puso at Gabi ay Magsinlamig -- Ice attack vs. all opponents  
__3. Banal na Ipo-Ipo -- Wind attack vs. all opponents  
__4. Tinig ng Kalupaan -- Earth attack vs. all opponents  
__5. Walang-Katapusang Agos -- Water attack vs. all opponents  
__6. Galit ng Kalangitan -- Thunder attack vs. all opponents  
__7. Lumiliwanag na Daanan -- Holy attack vs. all opponents  
__8. Mga Demonyong Walang Impiyerno -- Shadow attack vs. all opponents  
__9. Rosas ng Digma -- Physical attack vs. one opponent  
__10. Sibat ng Pagwaksi sa Tatsulok -- Physical attack vs. one opponent; damage inflicted is equivalent to HP healed by self  
__11. Pangkalawakang Digma Tungo sa Bagong Lipunan -- Ultimate non-elemental attack vs. all opponents_

_Melficio Victorialuna: The administration. The opposition. The third force. Everyone in the Philippines. I'll rip every last shred of them!  
__Melficio Victorialuna gets a turn. He chooses to cast two elemental spells, Alab ng Paghihimagsik and Puso at Gabi ay Magsinlamig, on all allies. All allies suffer an average of 528 damage.  
__Akari gets a turn. She chooses to use her Special Ability, Shining Chemical Impact, on Melficio Victorialuna. She deals 1049 damage to him. 1049 HP is restored to all allies.  
__Melficio Victorialuna gets a turn. He chooses to cast Sibat ng Pagwaksi sa Tatsulok on Hiroyuki. Hiroyuki takes 1220 damage. 1220 HP is restored to Melficio Victorialuna.  
__Hero gets a turn. He chooses to use his Special Ability, Data Drain, on Melficio Victorialuna. Melficio Victorialuna's status points are down by 50. Hero's status points are up by 50.  
__Hiroyuki gets a turn. He chooses to use his Special Ability, Purifying Flames, on Melficio Victorialuna. He deals 2036 damage to him.  
__Melficio Victorialuna gets a turn. He chooses to cast Rosas ng Digma on Sandara. Sandara takes 1054 damage.  
__Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast Walang Sabit on Melficio Victorialuna. But Melficio Victorialuna's time progression is not stopped!  
__Melficio Victorialuna gets a turn. He chooses to cast two elemental spells, Banal na Ipo-Ipo and Tinig ng Kalupaan, on all allies. All allies suffer an average of 509 damage. Sandara is in critical condition.  
__Akari gets a turn. She chooses to use Johnny Midnight's Toning Water on all allies. All allies' HP's and MP's are restored to full.  
__Hero gets a turn. He chooses to cast Sweep Slash on Melficio Victorialuna. He deals 1516 damage to him.  
__Melficio Victorialuna gets a turn. He chooses to cast two elemental spells, Walang-Katapusang Agos and Galit ng Kalangitan, on all allies. All allies suffer an average of 1381 damage.  
__Hiroyuki gets a turn. He chooses to use Pito-Pito Herbal Tea on all allies. All allies' HP's are restored to full.  
__Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to use her Special Ability, Taepodong, on Melficio Victorialuna. She deals 3200 damage to him.  
__Melficio Victorialuna gets a turn. He chooses to cast two elemental spells, Lumiliwanag na Daanan and Mga Demonyong Walang Impiyerno, on all allies. All allies suffer an average of 1671 damage.  
__Hiroyuki gets a turn. He chooses to use Pito-Pito Herbal Tea on all allies. All allies' HP's are restored to full.  
__Hero gets a turn. He chooses to cast Disabling Slash on Melficio Victorialuna. He deals 5529 damage to him. But Melficio Victorialuna is not paralyzed!  
__Akari gets a turn. She chooses to attack Melficio Victorialuna. She deals 1891 damage to him. A critical hit!  
__Melficio Victorialuna gets a turn. He chooses to cast Rosas ng Digma on Hero. Hero takes 1804 damage. A critical hit!  
__Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to use Miracle Virgin Coconut Oil on Hero. Hero's HP is restored to full.  
__Hiroyuki gets a turn. He chooses to attack Melficio Victorialuna. He deals 1121 damage to him.  
__A brief silence temporarily fills the air as the spectators below are cheering on. Even the leading figures of the administration and the opposition (including Pres. Arroyo and Susan Roces, no less!), who of course recovered, join in the fun.  
__Melficio Victorialuna: You think I will let the fake president who is a certified liar, cheater, and stealer live? You think I will let the divided opposition join temporarily and then go back to fighting each other when that fake president is kicked out, and meanwhile I just slouch and do nothing? You think I will let that so-called third force introduce their half-hearted reforms while I have better plans for the Philippines than them?  
__Hero: To answer your first question... You not only insulted the fair president's name, but also that of the late great Eddie Guerrero!  
__Sandara: To answer your second question... The differing factions of the opposition may have their own ideologies in mind, but that shouldn't make them prisoners of their own beliefs!  
__Hiroyuki and Akari: And to answer your last question... A half-hearted yet realistic reform is better than a utopian solution. A country can't progress overnight, you know.  
__Melficio Victorialuna: What is a terrorist? A miserable little pile of not just secrets, but an overwhelming desire to blow up everything! But enough of this worthless banter. Have at you!  
__Melficio Victorialuna gets a turn. He chooses to cast Rosas ng Digma on Hiroyuki. Hiroyuki takes 4004 damage. A critical hit! Hiroyuki is in critical condition.  
__Akari gets a turn. She chooses to use her Special Ability, Shining Chemical Impact, on Melficio Victorialuna. She deals 4731 damage to him. 4731 HP is restored to all allies. Hiroyuki is no longer in critical condition.  
__Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to use her Special Ability, Taepodong, on Melficio Victorialuna. She deals 3019 damage to him.  
__Melficio Victorialuna gets a turn. He chooses to cast Rosas ng Digma on Hero. Hero takes 1433 damage.  
__Melficio Victorialuna gets a turn. He chooses to cast Rosas ng Digma on Akari. Akari takes 1538 damage.  
__Suddenly, in mid-air, a mysterious globe appears and grows bigger in size, and from it a human appears. He is actually the Dark Lord Shawne Kleckner of the Right Stuf International. In his spell entitled "Black Thursday", he lifts his right hand into the air, and another globe appears and grows bigger in size. He then hurls it at Melficio Victorialuna. The globe deals 18950 damage to Melficio Victorialuna. Afterwards, Mr. Kleckner disappears. (Note: The special summon you just saw is a result of Akari equipping Mr. Bean's Teddy, an accessory exclusive to her that not only dramatically boosts her status points, but also summons random personalities at random times.)  
__Akari gets a turn. She chooses to use an Elixir from Quiapo on herself. Her HP and MP are restored to full.  
__Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to use an Elixir from Quiapo on Hero. Hero's HP and MP are restored to full.  
__Melficio Victorialuna gets a turn. He chooses to cast Rosas ng Digma on Akari. Akari takes 1370 damage.  
__Melficio Victorialuna gets a turn. He chooses to cast two elemental spells, Banal na Ipo-Ipo and Walang-Katapusang Agos, on all allies. All allies suffer an average of 1130 damage. Akari and Sandara are KO'd.  
__Hiroyuki gets a turn. He chooses to use a Mega Defribulator on Akari. Akari is no longer KO'd and has her HP restored to full.  
__Hero gets a turn. He chooses to use a Mega Defribulator on Sandara. Sandara is no longer KO'd and has her HP restored to full.  
__Melficio Victorialuna gets a turn. He chooses to cast Rosas ng Digma on Sandara. Sandara takes 849 damage.  
__Melficio Victorialuna: Now experience the full power and fury of the masses' struggle that I embody! Chickens from outer space, give me strength!  
__Melficio Victorialuna gets a turn. He chooses to cast his ultimate spell, Pangkalawakang Digma Tungo sa Bagong Lipunan, on all allies. All allies suffer an average of 1675 damage. Akari and Sandara are in critical condition.  
__Hero gets a turn. He chooses to cast Disabling Slash on Melficio Victorialuna. He deals 6051 damage to him. But Melficio Victorialuna is not paralyzed!  
__Melficio Victorialuna: What? My energy is rapidly fading! Curse you all! $$$$( YOU BETRAYERS OF THE NATION!  
__Melficio Victorialuna then suddenly finds himself locked in an energy ball. He, of course, cannot move nor act nor speak. Whodunnit, you ask?  
__John: Hey, guys! We thought of the best way to finish off that evil chicken. You must generate a giant robot and then use its power to deal the most spectacular coup de grace ever seen in Filipino history! But first, that robot must be formed by the four of you.  
__Heart: Furthermore, there must be a base body for that robot. And it must be finally formed by the prayers of our compatriots. Now, we are currently reminding the people to pray. Just give us time, OK?  
__Hiroyuki gets a turn. He chooses to use Pito-Pito Herbal Tea on all allies. All allies' HP's are restored to full.  
__Akari gets a turn. She chooses to cast Lutong Bahay. The combination of Organic Vegetables and Sukiyaki/Nilaga Ingredients generates an Enhancing Sukiyaki Hot Pot, which grants all good status effects to all allies.  
__Meanwhile, down the surface...  
__The Filipino people, regardless of age, origin, religious beliefs, and political beliefs, cry their hearts out in prayer. And from them shiny white beams emanate and immediately fly towards Multi, the perceived base of the super robot.  
__John: Now, guys! It's your time to do the formation!  
__Hiroyuki, Akari, Hero, Sandara: OK!  
__The four raise their right hands.  
__Hiroyuki, Akari, Hero, Sandara: Robot of Solidarity, converge!  
__Multi first transforms into a giant robot, and John and Heart fuse with it to enhance not just the robot's appearance, but also its power. Afterwards, the four get inside the robot's main console.  
__Hiroyuki: Nice!  
__Akari: I've never seen this before!  
__Hero: It's technology brought about by the prayers!  
__Sandara: The spirits are with us now.  
__Multi: My purity has paid off! I'm a Transformer, at last!  
__Heart: First, let your friends stall Mr. Victorialuna with their powers, and then you deal the finishing blow. All clear?  
__Hiroyuki, Akari, Hero, Sandara: All set!  
__Hiroyuki and Akari: Friends, channel your powers from the heart to incapacitate the heartless.  
__Shiho, Masashi, Serika, Ayaka, Aoi, Kotone, Lemmy, Rio, Tomoko, Serio: Hanniyaba tohartha solidaritas liberabitto vossu! United we stand, divided we fall! Pagkakaisa ang kailangan! (Unity is needed!) Beam of the Heart, materialize!  
__A pink heart-shaped beam tears through Mr. Victorialuna's body!  
__Melficio Victorialuna: AAAAAHHHHHH!  
__Voice from above: FINISH HIM!  
__The Robot of Solidarity draws out its sword. The sword transforms into the Sword of Equality.  
__Hiroyuki, Akari, Hero, Sandara: The left blade is love. The center blade is peace. The right blade is justice.  
__The Robot of Solidarity charges towards Melficio Victorialuna.  
__Hiroyuki, Akari, Hero, Sandara: Sword of Equality! Unification Slash!  
__The Robot of Solidarity makes a gradual V-shaped slash, similar to the finishing blow that Voltes V makes to its enemies. Because of the slash, Melficio Victorialuna is about to explode.  
__Melficio Victorialuna: AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! As long as disunity exists... I will be back! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! Mabuhay ang PilipinaAAAASSSSS!  
__And Melficio Victorialuna explodes in a blaze of glory.  
__Final battle ended._

February 28, 2006. Blue skies.

People from all walks of life. The multitude of the Filipino nation. Even the ones who were perished before by the curse who are revived by the grace of God. They all gather at EDSA, the site of the Philippines' greatest battle.

The main event: The awarding of the seventeen heroes (even John and Heart, who are miraculously revived) the Order of Sikatuna with the Rank of Datu. It's not only the administration who will give the award; even the opposition has pitched in as a gesture of goodwill and also as a sign of a new breed of politics.

Pres. Arroyo: By the power vested in me and the rest of the people of the Republic of the Philippines...

Susan Roces: ...we representatives of the political sphere hereby grant these seventeen gallant teenageers the Order of Sikatuna with the Rank of Datu.

Pres. Arroyo: We will never forget what they have done, subduing the root cause of disunity.

Susan Roces: More importantly, they reminded us forbearers of current Philippine politics of many, many things.

Pres. Arroyo: Once my friends and I dreamed of flying. We would sail a ship, with me as its captain. In time, I became that captain. I found a new ship with new friends. My ship was the administration.

The crowds cheer.

Susan Roces: Others chose a different captain. Their boat was the opposition.

The crowds give the applause to the two. Afterwards, Cory Aquino cuts in.

Cory Aquino: You know, I realize I am like a lot of you people. We want a captain. And we want a ship to ride, but more important than that... Really, we all want to ride together.

The crowds cheer and give the applause.

Susan Roces: There are some things you cannot do alone. But they become easy with friends beside you.

Pres. Arroyo: This was the lesson that we learned when we launched those ships.

Susan Roces: It was power... And we misused that power. We turned our friends and followers against each other.

Pres. Arroyo: Please forgive us all.

The three then bow. The crowd seems dissatisfied, but soon they are aware of what the three said.

Susan Roces: Somehow we forgot. There is a much larger ship out there. The one that we are all riding ever since we were born. That ship is the Philippines.

The crowds cheer and give the applause.

Pres. Arroyo: No one knows just where our voyage will lead us. But we do know one thing: One way or another, we will get by. We will go on living. We all will usher in the Philippine Calm.

The crowds cheer and give the applause.

Cory Aquino: And we all owe our thanks to those valiant youths who helped make this come true.

And the rest of the members of the administration and the opposition hand over the medals and plaques to the seventeen heroes, all to the ecstatic cheers of the crowd.

Cory Aquino: No award-giving ceremony will be complete without them giving a speech. And so, we hand over the microphone to them.

Hiroyuki, Akari, Hero, Sandara, John, and Heart all step up to the plate to give their collective speech, while their friends watch by and support every word that they will speak.

Hero: To start off this speech, let us remind you all of something. To make the Philippine Calm last for ages, we must first break down the myths concerning democracy: one of the vital components of national unity.

Sandara: Democracy may be an imported idea, but to simply import it into our country is very, very hard. You know why?

John: Our culture, more appropriately, social structure, is incompatible with the ingredients of democracy. A square peg in a round hole, in simple terms.

Heart: The ideals of Western-style democracy that revolve around understanding one another towards progress is NOT EQUAL to our typical Filipino mindsets of _"utang na loob"_ (debt of gratitude, reciprocity) and _"pakikisama"_ (smooth interpersonal relationship).

Hiroyuki: Let me tell you this as a Japanese citizen who'll live in the Philippines for the time being. After World War II, my home country was a wreck.

Akari: But when democracy was introduced to us by the Americans, we easily adopted it because it fits the typical Japanese mindset: that we all work hard not just for ourselves, but for the entire country.

Hero: If the Japanese like our friends here wholeheartedly fused democracy into their culture, why can't we?

Sandara: Jose Rizal once said in "El Filibusterismo" that "the slave is the image of his master: the country, of its government." An inept citizenry equals an inept government. That's why we always scowl and complain whenever foreigners or even fellow Filipinos expose something bad about the Philippines in general.

John: WE are all infected with the social cancer. The social cancer of weak sense of public good. It's not really a part of the ideal Filipino character; it's like a leech that sucks the blood out of its host. _"Utang na loob"_ and _"pakikisama"_ are just some personifications of that cancer.

Heart: For so many of us, making sense of public life merely involves the habitual extension of the ethos of intimacy to the larger society of anonymous others. Many of us could not stand anonymity. There appears to be this overpowering desire for personal connectedness. We are addicted to emotional and personal warmth. Our leaders are keenly aware of this; so they adapt what their constituents wanted.

Hiroyuki: That addiction has led to a lack of concern for the general welfare. The idea of public interest or public good is reduced to legal fiction, ritually invoked by all and sundry but never taken seriously.

Akari: If there is a strong link between democracy and culture, then there is a need not only to specify this link but also to acquire a practical understanding of it. To achieve it, ask yourselves: what makes democratic citizenship possible?

The crowd falls silent for several minutes.

Akari: I see that not everybody knows the answer. Even those who know are hesitant to answer because of the fear of the unknown. So who are the real culprits? The REAL problem?

Hiroyuki: As the final battle that you all saw suggests, the problem's not an offensive opposition or a defensive administration. The problem's not capitalism, not communism, not militarism, but US-ISM! It's us all that's the problem!

Heart: But don't get your hopes down. If all of us is the problem, then all of us is the solution.

John: Going back to the question that is "what makes democratic citizenship possible?" or in layman's terms, "what is it in everyday life that will allow persons without personal ties to work together for a common cause?", the true answer is this: SOCIAL CAPITAL.

Sandara: Social capital is the glue that binds us all. Social capital is the fibers of the social fabric which comprise a myriad of interactions that make up our public and private lives. An increase in social capital, or, which amounts to the same thing, an increase in experiences that generate trust and recognition of common ground, will allow people in ever larger numbers to move comfortably from the tight circle of friends and family into the larger society. Loss of social capital, on the other hand, would mean the rise of distrust, loss of social cohesion and the pervasive pursuit of short-term self-interest, which could lead to conflict and social isolation as well as contempt for power and authority. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

Hero: The heart, soul, and nucleus of social capital is social trust. You must trust not only your friends and relatives, but also the rest of the people. It's a challenge, all right; but it can be achieved only through habit and practice. We're NOT forcing it down your throats, mind you.

Hiroyuki, Akari, Hero, Sandara, John, Heart: And if you all still don't get it, only one Filipino word will summarize what social capital is all about: BAYANIHAN.

_Bayanihan. Bayanihan._ The word resonates into the hearts and minds of people not only in the crowd, but also to the rest of the Filipinos who watch the awarding ceremony via all forms of mass media.

Hiroyuki and Akari: Hey, guys. You're all familiar with that term, right? So why can't you all take it to heart?

Hero and Sandara: The ship thing that the President, Mrs. Roces, and Mrs. Aquino mentioned earlier can be applied to _bayanihan_. Imagine... imagine a large ship containing almost 90 million people called MV Philippines... sailing towards a new frontier called "progress"...

John and Heart: In the long run, it is sustained and ever-expanding civil society activity, and the kind of civic habits and dispositions they instill in people, that will make _"trapo"_ practices history. Forget about trying to fix national character, shoving abstract ideologies into our brains, or enforcing a moral recovery.

Realizing what the heroes said, the rulers and the rest of the people of the Republic of the Philippines fall silent, reflecting on the ultimate solution to national unity: social trust.

And up in the sky, the souls of Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr., Fernando Poe, Jr., and Raul Roco shake hands with each other, knowing that even without them, their efforts to unite the Philippines were not in vain.

However...

From a computer console at a nondescript house somewhere in the Philippines...

"Commencing the logging-on sequence of the following personae into the realm of Daig'digaia...

Hiroyuki Fujita.

Akari Kamigishi.

Rio Hinayama.

Tomoko Hoshina.

Kotone Himekawa.

Masashi Sato.

Ayaka Kurusugawa.

John Pratts.

Heart Evangelista.

Opening portals..."

And on the stage where the heroes stand, portals appear and warp Hiroyuki, Akari, Rio, Tomoko, Kotone, Masashi, Ayaka, John, and Heart; much to the surprise and discontent of everyone concerned. After they are sucked in, the portals vanish.

The rest of the Filipino nation can only wonder, but what is more important...

...is that they finally found a cure to the burning fever that is national disunity.

The Philippine Calm... will start roughly... but will go on smoothly.

THE END

To be continued in "The Seniors' Adventures" and in "Super Network Wars Omega: Suikoden Pilipinas"

_As long as disunity exists... I will be back..._

_Your fate... and my fate... will intertwine..._


End file.
